Chris Swanson

Chris Swanson grew up in Grand Blanc, Michigan. He received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. He was elected sheriff of Genesee County in 2020. His career experience includes being a police officer, paramedic, business owner, and professor.[1][2]

Chris Swanson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

blockquote{border-left:none !important;padding-left:2em;position:relative;color:#444;font-family:"Libre Franklin",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;color:#202122;font-style:normal;}blockquote::before{content:open-quote;font-size:3em;line-height:0.1em;position:absolute;left:-10px;top:40px;color:#ccc}blockquote::after{content:close-quote;font-size:3em;line-height:0.1em;position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;color:#ccc}

Campaign websiteSwanson's campaign website stated the following:MICHIGAN PRIORITIESWorking Class Playbook7 Point Education PlanContinue Free Breakfast and Lunch Programs for ALL Michigan’s Public-School Students. This is a priority under a Swanson Administration. This allows every student the ability to get what for some may be their only nutritious meal of the day, plus help every working family in Michigan.Prioritize Early Education and Literacy. Expand access to preschool and support school districts in offering Universal Young 5s programs, giving students an additional year to build readiness before kindergarten. Focus on essential elementary standards so more time is dedicated to building strong foundations in reading, writing, math, and social-emotional development. Ensure every child has the early support they need to succeed in school and beyond.Support Early Career Exploration and Multiple Pathways to Graduation. Create opportunities in middle and high school for students to explore careers and discover their interests. Provide meaningful learning experiences that prepare students for success after graduation. Ensure students are equipped and supported to pursue the path that is right for them, including trade school, community college, university, or military service.Focus on Educator Attraction and Retention. Position Michigan as a national leader in attracting and retaining the best and brightest educators. Support and invest in educators to ensure students are prepared to succeed in a world shaped by A.I. and advanced technology. Strengthen the education profession to build a stable, high-quality workforce for Michigan’s future.Protect Education Funding for K-12 Schools. Stop using the School Aid Fund to backfill shortfalls in the General Fund or to pay for unrelated priorities. School funding should be used for its intended purpose — supporting students and classrooms. Establish a bipartisan task force to review Michigan’s current school funding model and develop a fair, transparent system that reflects student needs and the true costs faced by districts.No Vouchers for Private Schools. Any legislation that takes one dollar from our public schools as a giveaway to private institutions will be vetoed. Public education funding is scarce enough, and those precious dollars will not be drained from our public schools.Expand GED and High School Completion Programs. Expand GED and high school completion programs through public school community education and proven models like I.G.N.I.T.E., providing adults and returning citizens with a second chance to complete their education and build productive futures. These programs help reduce re-incarceration, strengthen communities, and save taxpayer dollars. The I.G.N.I.T.E. program, founded by Chris Swanson, will serve as a model and resource to expand access and opportunity in every county across Michigan.7PointEducationPlan.pdfA Better LansingAudit and restructure Michigan Economic Development Corporation to make it work for everyone, not just the political insiders.Reduce FOIA exemptions for government officials and increase transparency. You deserve to know what is happening with your tax dollars.Create a “cooling off” period for elected officials to become lobbyists. Elected office isn’t an audition for a different job.Create a Customer Service Mindset at the state level: How do we keep our people here and how do we facilitate their success through government?Build in MichiganMichigan built the nation, and we need to once again be a hub of economic growth, innovation, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship that has room for everyone to succeed and live with dignity. No one should need to work more than 40 hours a week to make ends meet. We need to grow the economy and bring good paying, union jobs to the state. We will protect prevailing wage and worker safety. Support entrepreneurship through an Office of Innovation that can support startups and small business owners through the process. Every large business starts off small, and Michigan should be the best state to start and own a business in the country. I know K-Jail, not K-12. We need Career and Technical Education and trades programs in Middle School and High School so students can graduate with skilled labor into the workforce. We will also increase literacy rating by 10 points within 18 months. Reading, Financial and Digital Literacy using the EBLI model and incentivizing the home reading model. We will bring down the cost of energy in the state, both by increasing energy production and by making sure DTE and Consumers only raise your rate when they can guarantee better service.Safe Communities Are Strong CommunitiesFund school infrastructure upgrades such as bulletproof glass, metal detectors, single entry/egress points, metal plated doors to protect students in the event of a school shooting. Enforce Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which I testified in favor of in Lansing.Expand I.G.N.I.T.E. program to jails across the state. This jailhouse education program has led to a reduction in jailhouse violence, a 26% drop in recidivism, and improved community relations with law enforcement. Create the Governor’s Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST), based on the overwhelmingly successful model created by the Genesee County Human Oppression Strike Team, which has arrested over 270 child predators and is on the front line of fighting human trafficking and predator attacks.— Chris Swanson's campaign website (May 28, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign ads

Michigan First — Chris Swanson for Governor

View more ads here:

YouTube