OLYMPIA, Wash. — Keith Swank joined the U.S. Army out of high school and then joined the Seattle Police Department. After a 32-year law enforcement career, Swank wants to take his public service to Washington, D.C.
Swank, a Republican, is challenging incumbent Rep. Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat for the 10th Legislative District’s House of Representative seat.
Swank said his priority would be increasing security at the southern border of the U.S.
"Crime is out of control. The big reason why, the main reason why, it’s all drug-related,” said Swank. “What we have going on right now is the fentanyl coming across the southern border coming into our communities.”
Swank also said he would work to lower inflation and gas prices.
”We need to return to energy independence here because that’s what drives all of our inflation,” said Swank. “That and the government spending and printing money.”
Strickland, who in 2020 became the first African-American representative from Washington state, said the federal government should not be blamed for the rising price of gas or higher grocery prices.
She said she is proud of her work to try and reduce costs for Americans.
”We passed the CHIPS Act to bring manufacturing jobs back home. We passed the infrastructure bill to create good jobs here. We passed the Inflation Reduction Act to drive down the cost of prescription drugs and insulin,” said Strickland.
As for border security, Strickland said there is another way to battle the nation’s drug and crime problem.
”People who are addicted right now, whether it’s to opioids or alcohol, let’s get them the treatment, let’s make sure we’re able to get to the root causes of it,” said Strickland, “Yes we need to look at the flow of drugs coming to our country, but that alone is not why people are addicted.”