Sandy Swan

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Sandy Swan

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Graduate

San José State University, 1990

Personal

Birthplace

Oakland, Calif.

Profession

Caseworker

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Sandy Swan (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Denton County Commissioners Court to represent District 1 in Texas. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Swan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Sandy Swan was born in Oakland, California. She earned a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985 and another master's degree from San Jose State University in 1990. Her professional experience includes working as a caseworker for a social services organization, as a health services researcher, as a medical librarian, and as a college instructor. She has been affiliated with the Denton Vote Group, the League of Women Voters of Denton, 100 Dentonites Who Give a Damn, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Toastmasters, the Greater Denton Democratic Club HD 64, Tejano Democrats of Denton County, Texas Democrats with Disabilities, and the Frisco Democratic Club.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Denton County, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Denton County Commissioners Court District 1

Ryan Williams defeated Sandy Swan in the general election for Denton County Commissioners Court District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ryan Williams (R)	60.0	75,658
		Sandy Swan (D)	40.0	50,430

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 126,088
= 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 Denton County Commissioners Court District 1

Sandy Swan advanced from the Democratic primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 1 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sandy Swan	100.0	13,773

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,773
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 1

Ryan Williams defeated incumbent Hugh Coleman in the Republican primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 1 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ryan Williams	50.7	10,462
	Submit photo	Hugh Coleman	49.3	10,185

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,647
= 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 Swan's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Sandy Swan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Swan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have a Masters of Public Health and a Masters of Library Science with a background in health systems, community organizations, and elections processes. I have experience in project management, effective allocation of resources, strategic planning, data analysis, organizational communication, and community outreach.

I have decades of experience in community engagement. I served as the former Executive Director Denton County Democratic Party, was a member of the Ballot Board for multiple years, served as election worker for many elections, and was a precinct chair for many years. I was a founding member of the Denton Vote Group, Denton International Women's Day Committee. I was a founding and still current member of Greater Denton Democratic Club HD 64, where I previously served as club president. I was a founding member Tejano Democrats of Denton County and am current board secretary. I was a founding and still current member of the Disability Caucus of the Denton County Democratic Party.

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?

• Health Communities - The Coronavirus has shown the critical importance of the County Commissioners in safeguarding the health of our community
• Fair Elections - The County Commissioners determine the locations of polling places, have latitude with regard to early voting days and hours, and will determine redistricting at the county level in 2021
• Responsive Government - Seeking guidance from the widest range of our community is critical when making important decisions for Denton County.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Health Care, Voting and Elections, Open and transparent government

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

The Commissioners are an overlooked governmental body with wide ranging impact over multiple aspects of our lives. It oversees public health services, mental health, elections, criminal justice, water quality, economic development, and sets tax rates.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I greatly admire the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a fierce advocate for women's rights and we will greatly miss her.

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

Respectfully listening to public feedback is critical to making decisions about the complex issues facing our county.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility is to first safeguard the health and safety of our community.

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

My first job was as a tutor for the Upward Bound program working with underserved high school students. I held this job for one summer after my graduation from high school. I then became a tutor for what is now known as the Trio program working with underserved college students.

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

I believe it is important to have a good understanding of county government and the role it plays. Serving in politics and the community are some of the ways to gain the knowledge and experience helpful for this job.

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

I have a Masters in Public Health and a Masters in Library Science and experience in health systems, community organizations, and elections processes. I have experience in working in coalition with multiple community partners, project management, effective allocation of resources, strategic planning, data analysis, organizational communication, and community outreach. I bring decades of political and community engagement.

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.

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