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Jessica Swartz

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Jessica Swartz
Democratic Party
Candidate, Michigan House of Representatives District 41
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Next election
August 4, 2026
Education
High school
Creston High School
Bachelor's
Michigan State University
Law
American University Washington College of Law
Personal
Birthplace
Grand Rapids, MI
Religion
Catholic
Profession
Attorney
Contact
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Campaign X
Personal LinkedIn

Jessica Swartz (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 41. She declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on August 4, 2026.[source]

Swartz also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Michigan's 4th Congressional District. She will not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 4, 2026.

Swartz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jessica Swartz was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated from Grand Rapids Creston High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from American University, Washington, College of Law.

Her career experience includes working as an appellate attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a deputy general counsel at Western Michigan University, a temporary legislative correspondent and U.S. Capitol tour guide, and a high school rowing coach. She also worked on the Enron investigation for the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and with the organization Voters Not Politicians. Swartz has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1][2]

  • Michigan State University Alumni Association
  • National Organization of Veterans Advocates
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • NAACP of Greater Kalamazoo
  • St. Thomas More Catholic Church
  • U.S. Rowing

Elections

2026

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on August 4, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 41

Jessica Swartz (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 41 on August 4, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Jessica Swartz
Jessica Swartz  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Endorsements

Swartz received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

2024

See also: Michigan's 4th Congressional District election, 2024

Michigan's 4th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

Michigan's 4th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 4

Incumbent Bill Huizenga defeated Jessica Swartz and Curtis Clark in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 4 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Bill Huizenga
Bill Huizenga (R)
 
55.1
 
234,489
Image of Jessica Swartz
Jessica Swartz (D)
 
43.4
 
184,641
Image of Curtis Clark
Curtis Clark (U.S. Taxpayers Party)
 
1.6
 
6,687

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 425,817
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 4

Jessica Swartz advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 4 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jessica Swartz
Jessica Swartz
 
100.0
 
49,169

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 49,169
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 4

Incumbent Bill Huizenga defeated Brendan Muir in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 4 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Bill Huizenga
Bill Huizenga
 
73.4
 
67,749
Image of Brendan Muir
Brendan Muir Candidate Connection
 
26.6
 
24,580

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 92,329
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 4

Curtis Clark advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 4 on July 27, 2024.

Candidate
✔
Image of Curtis Clark
Curtis Clark (U.S. Taxpayers Party)

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Swartz's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Jessica Swartz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Swartz's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

I was born and raised in West Michigan and currently live in Kalamazoo. I went to Michigan State University, where I studied Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy. In that major, we learned what the Founders wanted for our country and how to make it happen. I was also on the rowing team and waited tables. Being on the rowing team taught me how much -- both physically and mentally -- I could push myself. It is a lesson I have applied to every endeavor since.

I went to American University Washington College of Law. I went on to work as an appellate attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where I helped Veterans get the benefits they earned and helped stop waste, fraud, and abuse. While at VA, I waited tables on weekends to pay down my student loans and car payment.

I married a fellow Spartan and former U.S. Navy Lieutenant. We moved back to West Michigan to be close to family and raise our daughter. I continued working for VA in Battle Creek before taking a job at Western Michigan University. There, I specialized in free speech cases and represented the University before the State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. I currently represent Veterans as they seek their VA benefits.

In 2017-2018, I worked hard to ban both parties from partisan gerrymandering in Michigan, which we did in 2018. In 2022, I worked closely with the City Commission to expand voting access. I love sports, reading, and counted cross stitch.
  • I will fight to reduce the cost of living for hardworking people. Corporate profits and billionaires' bank accounts are soaring while most of us are trying to make ends meet and maybe save a little money for vacation. I plan to tackle this by increasing affordable housing and providing affordable healthcare, including long-term care.
  • I will continue fighting for clean air and clean water for the people of the 41st District, including by expanding brownfield redevelopment opportunities and helping neighborhoods clean up abandoned or dangerous properties. This work will also open the door to expanding locations to build safe, affordable housing. I will work to make sure polluters are held accountable for the damage they are doing to our people and our environment.
  • I will work to protect public education. As a graduate of the Grand Rapids Public Schools, I saw firsthand how inequitable resources between my school and the suburban schools affected my classmates' and my quality of education. Where you live should not determine the quality of your education. I will make sure the MI Department of Ed has the resources it needs to support our children and that no one is discriminated against while doing so. Public universities also need support. Tuition costs are rising because state tax support goes down every year. The state needs to fight back against those who are trying to tear down higher ed so it remains available and affordable to anyone who wants to go to college.
#1: the policies that most impact my constituents

After that:
Public Education
Environment
Veterans' rights and benefits
Healthcare
Civil rights

Reproductive rights
Empathy; humility; strong moral compass; service-minded; active listening; leadership; remembering that the purpose of public service is to serve the common good.

I have found that almost everyone has a good reason for believing what they do. By being willing to listen to all voters with humility and an open mind, we can find common goals. We can move forward with those common goals and, hopefully, work to repair damage that has been done by the extreme partisanship and selfishness that we see from so many members of government.

I also take a lot from my faith. While I would never try to impose my faith on others, Jesus said that it is our responsibility to take care of those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, or unhoused. When I am stuck and trying to make a decision, I always come back to those lessons and to asking what will best serve the greater good.
The first is just being present for your constituents. At its core, that is the job of an elected official. Second, a representative must be willing to humbly listen to those with whom they may disagree and work to find common ground (see my answer above). Third, a representative must be willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the hard work to fight for the people of the district. They must be willing to stand strong against external factors that may be pushing them to make decisions that are contrary to what their districts and our country need.

I can promise that, with my background as a rower, a federal attorney, and a working mom, I will never stop fighting for the people of this district. I am not running for power or prestige or name recognition. I am running to make life better for as many people as possible.
I would like people to say that my life made a positive impact in making life better for all people. I would also like to leave a legacy of showing that you can fight hard for a cause while maintaining civility and respect. I hope people would say, "I didn't agree with everything she did, but I respect her hard work and integrity."
I remember the Challenger exploding. I was ten. We were watching it in school. This many years later, I don't remember many of the details, but I do remember how I felt.
I got my first job at 13. I worked at the front desk and in the locker room at the local public pool.
Gone with the Wind. While I abhor the stance this books takes on slavery and how it depicts Black people in the South, at its core, this book is about the things a woman will do to support and save her family. Scarlett shunned the expected mores of her day and sacrificed her own happiness so her family could eat and have a roof over its head.
Professor McGonagall. She just seems cool. Or maybe Wonder Woman.
It should be a relationship centered on teamwork. The separation of powers must be maintained, and, at the same time, neither one can accomplish its goals without the other. I will work to establish a foundation of trust and accountability with whoever holds the governor's office, so that real work can get done.
The increased cost of living, loss of reliable healthcare, and the loss of natural resources due to mega-corporations circumventing environmental protections. We have also lost the ability to argue without fighting. We need to bring back the ability to respect others' views while we passionately defend our own. Diversity in all areas makes our communities greater.
Yes. There is a "system" in which you must know how to work to be in politics. I have worked with or for all three branches of both the state and federal governments, so I understand that system and how those branches work together (or not) to accomplish their objectives. I will be able to hit the ground running on Day 1 to get the work done.

My legal experience is especially valuable in this regard. I have been trained and have spent the last twenty-plus years learning how the legal system works within an administrative system of government. A law must be both effective AND legal to succeed. I have learned, through my on-the-ground experience working with the different branches of our government, reasons why even well-meaning laws are not successful.

Finally, we know that the upcoming elections will likely be contested on the state and federal levels. I have ten years of experience in election administration and law in Michigan. I will immediately be able to push back against attempts to circumvent the will of the voters in Michigan through my knowledge and contacts I have in this arena.
Absolutely. No one can pass a law with only one vote. It is important to build relationships of trust and respect so the work can get done.
Senator Carl Levin. I had the opportunity to work for him during my third year of law school. While he was an incredibly influential and powerful person in the US Senate, he did not lose his humility and remained in touch with his roots. I will always try to maintain that same humility and integrity throughout my political career.
State Representative Joey Andrews

Kalamazoo Councilmember Jeanne Hess
Bricklayers Local 2
Laborers Local 355
Teamsters Local 406

UA 174
Becoming a mother. We fought for many years to be able to have our daughter. The day she was born was the happiest and proudest of my life.
I have already successfully advocated for laws in Michigan that eliminate partisan, political gerrymandering and that expand voter access. We were able to institute same-day voter registration and permanent absentee ballot registration. I will continue to be sure that the Michigan electoral system remains safe, free, and impartial. I will look into how registered Michiganders must complete a separate application to be given an absentee ballot. To me, it adds an unnecessary administrative hurdle that is used to disenfranchise voters.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


2024

Jessica Swartz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Swartz’s campaign website stated the following:

“

I also believe we can deliver on common sense ideas that the majority of Americans agree on. Issues like:

  • Growing our economy
  • Cutting costs for working families
  • Protecting our Great Lakes
  • Defending Medicare and Social Security from budget cuts
  • Increasing access to broadband internet
  • Making healthcare affordable
  • Defending our democracy
  • Protecting abortion rights
  • Passing common sense gun control
  • Making sure millionaires, billionaires, and corporations pay their fair share [3]
 ”
—Jessica Swartz’s campaign website (2024)[4]


Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Jessica Swartz campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House Michigan District 4Withdrew primary$341,423 $334,983
2024U.S. House Michigan District 4Lost general$1,166,577 $1,051,050
Grand total$1,508,000 $1,386,033
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

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External links

Candidate

Michigan House of Representatives District 41
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X
    		•

    Personal

  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Jessica Swartz for Congress, "Meet Jessica," accessed July 24, 2024
    2. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 8, 2026
    3. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    4. ↑ 'Jessica Swartz’s campaign website, “Why I'm Running,” accessed July 24, 2024


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