Nigel Swaby

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Nigel Swaby

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 2, 2021

Personal

Profession

Realtor

Contact

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Nigel Swaby ran in a special election to the Salt Lake City Council to represent District 2 in Utah. He lost in the special general election on November 2, 2021.

Swaby completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Nigel Swaby was born outside of the United States in Kingston. He earned an associate degree from Willamette University. His professional experience includes working as a realtor in both residential and commercial properties. Swaby also has a background in digital marketing, retail management, and mortgage lending. He began serving on the Fairpark Community Council in May 2017, the Government Affairs Committee of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors in December 2018, the Utah Justice Coalition in October 2018, and the Outdoor Recreation Committee for Millcreek City in May 2019. Swaby served as chair of the River District Chamber from June 2017 to May 2020, as a contributing writer for The West View from January 2017 to January 2020, and as the District 2 representative on the Salt Lake City Police Civilian Review Board from November 2017 to July 2018.

Elections

2021

See also: City elections in Salt Lake City, Utah (2021)

General election

General election for Salt Lake City Council District 2

Select round: Round 4 Round 3 Round 2 Round 1

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Alejandro Puy in round 4 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Alejandro Puy	56.4	1,368	185	Won (4)
		Billy Palmer	43.6	1,059	250	4
		Dennis Faris	0.0	0	-499	3
	Submit photo	Daniel Tuutau	0.0	0	0	2
		Nigel Swaby	0.0	0	0	1

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Alejandro Puy	47.5	1,183	66	Won (4)
		Billy Palmer	32.5	809	39	4
		Dennis Faris	20.0	499	59	3
	Submit photo	Daniel Tuutau	0.0	0	-185	2
		Nigel Swaby	0.0	0	0	1

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Alejandro Puy	44.5	1,117	43	Won (4)
		Billy Palmer	30.7	770	28	4
		Dennis Faris	17.5	440	38	3
	Submit photo	Daniel Tuutau	7.4	185	28	2
		Nigel Swaby	0.0	0	-151	1

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Alejandro Puy	42.5	1,074	0	Won (4)
		Billy Palmer	29.4	742	0	4
		Dennis Faris	15.9	402	0	3
	Submit photo	Daniel Tuutau	6.2	157	0	2
		Nigel Swaby	6.0	151	0	1

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,526
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Nigel Swaby completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Swaby's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My first experience with public engagement came when I was 13, fighting to save my High School from closure. That fight would come again two years later and we would ultimately lose. Growing up on the west side of Salt Lake was a deeply enriching experience I wish more people could experience. Our families of immigrants and Polynesians and South East Asians and Hispanics and African Americans and Africans blended in with the community. We became friends through school and sports and church. We watched our neighborhoods grow and develop. And we fought for equitable treatment in education and transportation and representation.

Six years ago, I moved back to the West Side. I saw the growth potential of North Temple. I saw house prices rising. I saw the eyes on the West Side and wanted to be part of it. I started showing up. I started learning. And I followed through. I started with the Fairpark Community Council by showing up, becoming a board member and now serving as Chair. I also did that with the River District Chamber, now River District Business Alliance, serving as its Chair for three years.

I’m active in my industry of real estate serving as Vice Chair of the Government Affairs Committee and its Elections Chair. I’ve also served on the Commercial Alliance which bridges the differences between commercial and residential agents.

The growth of our city and my community involvement has inspired me to run for Salt Lake City Council District 2.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Public Safety
• Homelessness
• Inland Port

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

There isn’t a day that goes by without seeing a complaint from a neighbor about a property crime. It’s happened to me. It’s probably happened to you. In fact, larceny/vehicle burglary crimes were up 92.6% in District 2. Safety isn’t just about crime; it’s about reducing fires, walkable streets and protecting cyclists.

Addressing the rapid growth of Salt Lake City means purposely creating affordable housing in all parts of the city. With persistently high housing and living costs, it also means considering creating a City minimum wage that sensibly exceeds the stagnant Federal minimum wage.

The Inland Port is a significant opportunity for the State and City, but if executed poorly could permanently the neighborhoods of District 1 & 2. I will fight for a seat on that Board with the intent to capitalize on the opportunity while protecting our neighborhoods.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

As Utah's largest City and home of the Capitol building, Salt Lake City is a driving force in the State. Being a "blue" City in a "red" State poses a unique set of challenges. The District I'm running for often bears the brunt of State "punishment." A prison and an inland port are both in construction phases in or near the District I'm running for because of political differences. Besides those two large projects, this District has some of the greatest opportunities for redevelopment both residential and commercial.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Making people feel listened to is the greatest characteristic any elected official can have. Effectively, elected officials are the customer service representatives for our democracy. It's only when people don't feel listened to they take things into their own hands.

In the past, I often thought an elected official should survey every resident before any vote. What I've learned is constituents rarely speak out about individual votes. Those that do, should definitely be consulted. Voters elect officials for a number of reasons. They vote officials out for specific reasons. Understanding the difference will make for a successful political career.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I think my strongest quality for this position is experience. As a long-time resident of District 2, I have an institutional memory of the good and bad policies that impacted these communities. I've also spent a lot of time in community and City Council meetings, so I understand the issues and procedures relevant to the office. Those experiences have also led me to meeting many City staff which provides the basis of personal relationships with the people needed to execute the consensus of the Council.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was part-time janitor for a printing company. Since I was young for my grade, I couldn't get a job at a traditional employer. This job was a referral from a school counselor who knew my families financial situation. I started at age 14 during the summer and would work after school when it was in session. It was my first job and I was happy to be earning money to ease the burden on my parents and have some spending money. I would ride my bicycle to work until it was stolen and then I would walk. It was about 2 miles away from the house.

I kept that job for about two and a half years until the company grew enough they could hire a full time person to clean up. It was a great opportunity for a kid like me and taught me valuable lessons about work ethic.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I don't think holders of this office should have previous experience in politics, but I do believe they need to have previous experience in community. I have developed a presence in both the business community and local community by involving myself in the River District Chamber and Fairpark Community Council. Both of these experiences exposed me to City departments and procedures which have well prepared me to have the institutional knowledge to run for this office.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I believe municipal office is the closest to the people they serve. Availability and responsiveness are very important. Municipal officers often wear many hats, so developing knowledge bases about different topics from construction to policing to water management are also important.

At the very heart of this office is generating the feeling to people they're being listened to. It's also important to fully understand the different sides to any particular issue and seek out those voices.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A ‪‎physicist, an ‪‎engineer and an ‪‎economist are stranded in the desert. They are hungry. Suddenly, they find a can of corn. They want to open it, but how?

The physicist says: “Let’s start a fire and place the can inside the flames. It will explode and then we will all be able to eat”.
“Are you crazy?” says the engineer. “All the corn will burn and scatter, and we’ll have nothing. We should use a metal wire, attach it to a base, push it and crack the can open.”

“Both of you are wrong!” states the economist. “Where the hell do we find a metal wire in the desert?! The solution is simple: ASSUME we have a can opener”…

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Salt Lake City Council District 2

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