California Democrat Congressman Eric Swalwell met with a group of Democratic Party activists at the home of the Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle, Sunday (February 17th). Swalwell was raised in Sac City, Iowa until age 6. His family moved to Oregon, before settling in California. Toelle says his basic life philosophy was formed in his youth when his father was police chief.

CA Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell

Swalwell, who is considering a run for the presidency, spoke of his priorities: education, infrastructure, health care, jobs and the economy, and gun violence, saying “We should have background checks for all guns. And we need to invest in mental health, health care, so people are not jailed, instead of receiving treatment.” He cited a recent incident in California where a man was having a heart attack and the theater emptied out because people thought a shooting was occurring; “there is a state of fear in this country.”

Swalwell stated that a top priority is creating new jobs and “connecting the disconnected. So many people feel disconnected from opportunities. Americans need a leader who can connect to them”, adding that he is familiar with the everyday struggles of families. He was the first in his family to go to college and he and his wife have two young children and nearly $100,000 in student loan debt. He proposes a variety of initiatives to create more jobs, including workforce training, infrastructure investment, and tax changes to boost growth in low-income communities.

Swalwell has served in the US House of Representatives since 2013 and is currently a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. His mantra is “Go big. Be bold. Do good.”