About Chris Swanson
Born and raised in Cloquet, Chris Swanson is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives to bring solutions—not division—to St. Paul.
As a high school social studies teacher, community and union leader, and city councilor, Chris has spent much of his life serving the people of our area. He knows what matters most to our communities: respectful dialogue, problem solving, and making sure no one is left behind.
What I Stand For
I’m running for the Minnesota House because our communities deserve solutions, not division.Too much of today’s politics is about anger, headlines, and the culture wars. But, all that craziness isn’t really who we are here.
Respectful Leadership
Politics doesn’t have to be nasty. I believe in listening first, finding common ground, and working with people—even when we don’t agree.
Problem Solving Over Partisanship
Our district needs someone focused on results, not clickbait. I’ll work across party lines to get things done for families, workers, and seniors.
Strong Communities
From fire safety to education, from libraries to local history, I’ve always stepped up to serve. In St. Paul, I’ll fight to bring resources and opportunities back home.
Listening, Leading, and Taking Action
I consider myself a conservative Democrat, or what some people call a moderate. To me this means that I don’t see eye to eye with extremists on either side of the aisle or with those who are more interested in winning an argument than finding solutions. We have to prioritize our spending, taking care of our needs before we take care of our wants, just like we have to do in our own households. I don’t believe in policies that divide Americans with heightened rhetoric, blame games, or name-calling. These approaches simply aren’t getting the job done. We need to “turn down the temperature” and be civil to people we disagree with and get back to a reasonableness that has been the hallmark of Minnesota politics for generations. This is what will truly make us great again. In other words, we need things to change. We can do better.
CHRIS’S PLAN FOR FAIRNESS AND COMMUNITY CARE
Chris will be focused on fully funding our schools, promoting responsible economic development, making sure our public safety, emergency services, and mental health professionals are funded properly, and making sure our working families, children and retirees are taken care of before the ultra-wealthy are helped to another round of tax cuts.
A Moderate Voice for Real Solutions
I’m quite concerned that it seems like our area is shorted the resources it needs to maintain or improve the basics – like properly funding our fire and ambulance services, making road and infrastructure improvements, appropriately compensating the ones who protect and serve, teach, or work in care-related fields. We all deserve to make a decent living, to raise families in the communities we grew up in, and our grandparents deserve to live their retirement years with dignity. Yet, too many hard-working men and women in our region are seeing a decline in real earnings as a result of bad policy, tightening of budgets, and inflation. Many people have shared with me that taxes are just too high as a dollar can’t be stretched anymore than it already is. We all deserve better.
Change is coming. I commit not to empty promises but telling it straight both in Saint Paul and at home. I will listen with an open mind to the folks in our area and the issues they care about. I’m not afraid of the workload and challenges. I will support creative, evidence-based, and serious solutions to the real problem we all face. I will do my best to serve this district with integrity: I will take action. (When you think about it, isn’t that what a representative is supposed to do?) Together, let’s do better.
