Sandré Swanson
Sandré Swanson (Democratic Party) was a member of the California State Assembly, representing District 16.
Swanson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the California State Senate to represent District 7. He lost in the primary on March 5, 2024.
Swanson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Sandré Swanson was born in Oakland, California. He graduated from Berkeley High School. He earned an associate degree from Laney Community College in 1971 and a bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University in 1973. Swanson's professional experience includes working as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Barbara Lee from 1998 to 2004, District Director/Senior Policy Advisor for Congressman Ron Dellums from 1973 to 1998, and serving as a state representative. He has been affiliated with Allen Temple Baptist Church.[1]
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Swanson served on these committees:
- Budget Committee, California General Assembly
- Elections and Redistricting Committee, California General Assembly
- Labor and Employment Committee, California General Assembly, Chair
- Utilities and Commerce Committee, California General Assembly
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Swanson served on these committees:
- Banking and Finance Committee, California General Assembly
- Select Committee on Biotechnology
- Budget Committee, California General Assembly
- Elections and Redistricting Committee, California General Assembly
- Select Committee on Ports
- Select Committee on Procurement
- Rules Committee, California Legislature
- Select Committee on School Financial Takeovers (Chair)
- Utilities and Commerce Committee, California General Assembly
- Select Committee on Youth Violence Prevention
Issues
Political Courage test
Swanson provided answers to the California State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test. The test informs voters how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected. When asked about his legislative priorities he replied:
"My top priority is to ensure the health, education, and safety of our children. As Chairperson of Labor, I also place a high priority on protecting the rights of working families, and expanding the number of high-quality, living wage jobs in our state. I pursue these two priorities through my legislation and from my positions on the Labor and Budget Committees, as well as the Budget subcommittees on Education Finance and State Administration."[2]
Top Two Primaries
Swanson registered his opposition to California Proposition 14, saying that it would greatly increase the cost of campaigns because it would require major party members to run two separate election campaigns that must reach out to the full electorate.[3]
Elections
2024
See also: California State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for California State Senate District 7
Jesse Arreguín defeated Jovanka Beckles in the general election for California State Senate District 7 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jesse Arreguín (D) | 57.2 | 199,423 |
 | Jovanka Beckles (D) | 42.8 | 149,415 | |
| Total votes: 348,838 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Senate District 7
The following candidates ran in the primary for California State Senate District 7 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jesse Arreguín (D) | 32.1 | 61,892 |
| ✔ | | Jovanka Beckles (D) | 17.7 | 34,085 |
 | Dan Kalb (D) | 15.0 | 28,881 | |
 | Kathryn Lybarger (D) | 14.6 | 28,070 | |
 | Sandré Swanson (D) | 11.9 | 22,907 | |
 | Jeanne Solnordal (R) | 8.7 | 16,855 | |
| Total votes: 192,690 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Swanson received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Swanson's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.
- State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D)
- State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond (D)
2016
- See also: California State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 25, 2016, for candidates filing with signatures. The deadline for candidates using a filing fee to qualify was March 11, 2016.[4] Incumbent Loni Hancock (D) did not seek re-election.
Nancy Skinner defeated Sandré Swanson in the California State Senate District 9 general election.[5][6]
| California State Senate, District 9 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Nancy Skinner |
62.19% | 236,133 | |
| Democratic | Sandré Swanson | 37.81% | 143,573 | |
| Total Votes | 379,706 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Nancy Skinner and Sandré Swanson defeated Katherine Welch and Rich Kinney in the California State Senate District 9 Blanket primary.[7][8]
| California State Senate, District 9 Blanket Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Nancy Skinner |
47.82% | 116,710 | |
| Democratic | Sandré Swanson |
30.47% | 74,365 | |
| Democratic | Katherine Welch | 13.40% | 32,698 | |
| Republican | Rich Kinney | 8.31% | 20,287 | |
| Total Votes | 244,060 | |||
2012
Swanson was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
2010
Swanson won re-election to the 16th District seat in 2010. He had no opposition in the June 8 primary. He defeated James I. Faison and Lisa D. Ringer in the November 2 general election.[9]
| California State Assembly, District 16 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Sandré Swanson (D)
|
99,082 | |||
| James I. Faison (R) | 14,692 | |||
| Lisa D. Ringer (L) | 4,909 | |||
2008
In 2008, Swanson was re-elected to the California State Assembly District 16. Swanson (D) finished with 136,066 votes while his opponent James Faison (R) finished with 18,817 votes.[10] Swanson raised $474,662 for his campaign fund.[11]
| California State Assembly District 16 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Sandré Swanson (D)
|
136,066 | |||
| James Faison (R) | 18,817 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sandré Swanson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Swanson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
As Assemblymember I led efforts to rescue our young children from human traffickers. My laws provided wrap-around services treating these children as victims, not criminals, of this modern-day slavery. My laws are being used by many District Attorney offices today to successfully prosecute human traffickers. As Assemblymember, I also fought for education and full-service schools with safe learning environments.
I believe that children, seniors and families must be safe in everyday life. Thats why the largest federation of local, state and federal public safety associations, Peace Officers Research Association of California, endorse me and trust my zero-tolerance approach to violence and crime. I support a well-funded response to organized crime.
I was born in Oakland, Civic Positions: Assemblymember; Deputy Mayor Oakland; Chair Alameda County Employee’s Retirement Association; Chair Oakland Civil Service Commission; Chair Oakland Base Reuse Authority. Experience matters.
- I am running for the State Senate to stop our current Crime Wave.
- I am committed to ending homeless encampments with humanitarian solutions
- As in the Assembly I will work in the Senate to make education california's number one budget priority
Crime
Ending our current crime wave is a real priority for me. I believe that children, seniors and families must be safe in everyday life. Oakland California is the largest city in my Senate district and we are facing a crisis in public safety. Many of my neighbors are afraid to come out at night to travel to the grocery store, park their car on a public street, or visit their favorite local restaurant. I believe our crime wave is organized crime and it should be met with zero tolerance and a well-funded community and law enforcement response.
The Unhoused
It Is a moral imperative that we assist our growing unhoused community. As an Assemblymember, I was a leader in the fight to keep redevelopment programs for affordable and Senior housing. I told my colleagues in real time that “the elimination of redevelopment funds would lead to more homelessness and a growing housing crisis of affordability.” I would like to lead a coalition in the Senate restore the resources necessary for a multi-level humanitarian effort.
Education
Key Endorsements
Organizational Endorsements
Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC)
California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC)
California School Employees Association (CSEA)
Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA)
California Highway Patrol
Oakland Police Officers Association
Elected Official Endorsements
Tony Thurmond, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer
Senator Steve Bradford
Assemblymember Christopher Holden
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor
Noel Gallo, Oakland City Council
William “Bill” Patterson, EBMUD Director
Former Elected Officials
Mayor Jean Quan, Mayor City of Oakland
Nathaniel “Nate” Bates, Mayor City of Richmond
Ignacio De La Fuente, Oakland City Councilmember
Linda Handy, Peralta Community College Trustee
Jim Oddie, Alameda City Councilmember
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.
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.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate California State Senate District 7 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 8, 2024
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Issue positions," accessed December 10, 2014
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "California Legislator Sandre Swanson Speaks Out Against 'Top-Two Open Primary'," February 7, 2010
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed April 18, 2017
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for the November 8, 2016, General Election," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "2016 General Election results," accessed December 23, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statement of Vote," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2008 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Campaign funds," accessed March 13, 2014
