Sandre Swanson: running hard for
Oakland Assembly seat

By Chauncey Bailey, Globe Staff Writer

When Assembly candidate Sandre Swanson entered the Oakland Marriott last week, he was greeted warmly by Mervyn Dymally and Karen Bass, two of only six African American legislators in Sacramento.
    “We are hoping (Swanson) will join us,” said Dymally. Currently, all six black legislators are from Southern California. There are no African Americans representing districts north of Los Angeles.
    For years, Oakland’s 16th Assembly District seat was held by blacks including Byron Rumford, the late leader who passed landmark anti-housing discrimination legislation; Barbara Lee (now in Congress); and Elihu Harris (former Mayor of Oakland).
    Now, Swanson hopes to replace Oakland Assemblywoman Wilma Chan who is termed out.
    Swanson said he expects to raise funds in small amounts as the June 6, 2006 Democratic Primary nears.
    “We are gaining support from all parts of this district,” he said. “I’m pleased to have a multicultural, multiracial coalition working for this campaign.”
    Swanson said he wants to close the academic achievement gap between whites and racial minorities and tackle vexing urban problems like “crime, the need for more jobs and affordable housing, the disparity in health care and economic development.”
    Swanson has long been a behind- the-scenes fixture in East Bay politics, always making headway for other leaders without generating headlines for himself. Now, Swanson is in the spotlight.
    For 30 years, he served as chief of staff and district director to Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Ron Dellums, who is now running for Mayor of Oakland. Swanson earned a reputation as a dedicated and hardworking public servant with an impressive record of accomplishments.
    “Education is the top priority of my campaign for the Assembly,” he said last week. “I will work for a state budget that makes the education of our children a real priority for California.”
    Over the years, he managed the successful effort to secure Congressional authorization for a $252 million dredging project to allow the Port of Oakland to accommodate larger, modern container vessels and generate jobs.
    He has served as vice-chairman and member of the Alameda Reuse Authority and the Oakland Base Reuse Authority, agencies charged with converting closed military bases in Alameda County to successful civilian reuse.
    “Today these bases are building new homes, growing businesses and creating jobs,” said Swanson. Swanson is also working to oppose the current drive against public workers’pensions.
    “I want to protect workers’ pensions and against this raid on worker retirement security by the Governor and his supporters,” said Swanson, who has served as Chairman of the Alameda County Retirement Board. He is currently a Trustee for the County of Alameda’s $4.3 billion pension organization that supports the pension system for 15,000 active and retired county employees.
    “Pensions are a promise that cannot be broken,” he said. Swanson started the Worker to Business Owner Project for former military base workers who lost their jobs due to base closures in Alameda County. The project trained former base workers to become business owners and provided them technical assistance. Many of these businesses now employ hundreds of workers.
    Swanson is also founder and currently the chairman of the East Bay Conversion and Reinvestment Commission’s Small Business Revolving Loan Fund, which provides business loans of up to $250,000 to businesses in Alameda County. gap between whites and racial minorities and tackle vexing urban problems like “crime, the need for more jobs and affordable housing, the disparity in health care and economic development.”
    Swanson has long been a behind- the-scenes fixture in East Bay politics, always making headway for other leaders without generating headlines for himself. Now, Swanson is in the spotlight.