A San Antonio native, Swift worked in medical device sales after raising five kids. This is her first time running for public office.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I was born and raised in San Antonio, House District 121, specifically. I graduated from the same high school as both of my parents, MacArthur High School, earned a BS in Biology from UTSA, and raised five kids in Alamo Heights public schools. I built a successful career in orthopedic device and pharmaceutical sales, and left the industry in June to run for this office.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for your district and how would you address them?
The biggest issues facing our district and our state are public education funding, addressing high property taxes, and improving access to healthcare.
First, I will work to stop the voucher plan, and push for the state to provide a larger share of the cost of education. This would be necessary to address our rising property taxes.
Second, I would lower our property tax burden by participating in the federal Medicaid expansion program. Our federal tax dollars are supporting Medicaid expansion in 40 other states, but do not benefit our low income families in Texas. We are leaving an estimated $5 billon in annual federal funding on the table every year. That money would boost the healthcare economy, create high paying jobs, and protect rural hospitals from closing. Increasing state funding for education, and expanding Medicaid would dramatically reduce our property tax burden, while improving the lives of our citizens.
And third, I am opposed to SB8, the abortion ban passed as soon as Roe v. Wade was overturned. I will work across the aisle to ensure that doctors and patients are protected when making a decision to end a pregnancy.
Do you support the creation of a school voucher program? If so, what specifics are you looking for? Are you willing to leave the next session without approving additional public school funding?
I am opposed to the voucher/ESA plan. It is our constitutional duty to provide a free public education to all Texans. Currently, Texas is ranked 44th out of 50 states in per student funding, and our teachers are paid far less than the national average. Texas boasts a Rainy Day Fund of over $15 billion, and had a budget surplus last year of over $30 billion.
I will work to get the state to increase its portion of education funding, and encourage expansion of “choice” within our public school system. Implementing a voucher program will take more tax dollars from our public schools and give it to unaccountable corporate private schools, introducing a profit motive into our education system. These schools would prioritize profits over outcomes, and they would not be held to the same standards to which our public schools must adhere.
Describe how you plan to be an effective lawmaker in a governing body where leadership controls much of the agenda.
I will build relationships with my colleagues across the aisle to find pragmatic solutions. Many of the people closest to me have different political views, but we can almost always find common ground. I believe most Texans are not as extreme as our politics have become. An effective lawmaker understands the issues, respects different points of view, and finds ways to solve problems.
How would you solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
I left my career in order to be fully engaged and available to my friends and neighbors in District 121. Although our legislature meets only a few months every other year, I will be responsive to my constituents full time. I will make myself available for community events, host district “town hall” meetings, communicate through social media, send out an electronic newsletter, and respond promptly to inquiries. It is my intention to be transparent, available and accountable to the district.
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