Russell was raised in Caswell County, where he grew up on a tobacco farm and attended Bartlett Yancey High School in Yanceyville, North Carolina. After graduating from high school, he received his undergraduate degree in political science from North Carolina State University and went on to acquire his Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University. Additionally, Russell received his MBA from Averett University in Danville, Virginia. He has been a member of the Caswell County Planning Board since 2007, and has been a licensed real estate broker in North Carolina for 20 years. His law firm focuses on Real Estate, Estate Planning and Criminal Law.