Christopher Swann: 2026 candidate for U.S. Senate

Bio

Office sought: U.S. Senate

City: Chicago

Age: 38

Occupation: Senior Program Manager

Previous offices held: NA

Q&A

What is your top issue and how do you propose to address it?

Economic security. Right now people work full-time and can't afford rent, groceries, or healthcare. Insurance companies made $71 billion while 68,000 died from lack of coverage. This isn't broken. It's working exactly as designed, for them. I'll fight for Medicare for All, guaranteed income, $25 minimum wage, and the full weight of the federal government to build housing. Not incremental change. Transformation. These aren't proposals. They're overdue payments.

Do you support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken with such actions as the bombing of Iran, assaults on Venezuelan ships and the seizure of the Venezuelan president?

No. The CIA drone strike inside Venezuela on December 24 violated international law. Killing over 100 people in boat strikes without evidence serves dominance, not security. Bombing Iran, seizing ships, threatening invasion: this is what happens when you chase power without asking what power should serve. Congress must authorize military action. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee exists to be a checkpoint, not a rubber stamp.

The executive branch has expanded its powers in recent years on foreign policy, economic tariffs, executive orders and more. Are you satisfied with the direction these activities are moving? If so, why? If not, what needs to be done differently?

No. Executive overreach, whether Republican or Democratic, undermines constitutional checks. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee must reclaim its authority over war powers. No military strikes without congressional authorization. No deportations without due process. No tariffs without debate. The expansion happened because Congress abdicated responsibility. I'll restore Senate oversight and challenge executive actions that bypass the people's representatives.

What should U.S. border policy be? If elected, what would you do to make it happen?

Constitutional protections for all persons, simple pathways to citizenship, family unity. Abolish ICE. End deportations without due process through warrant requirements, right to counsel at government expense, real judges. Pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants within five years. Invest $10 billion annually in processing infrastructure instead of enforcement. Immigration status is used to exploit workers and undermine all labor organizing. Citizenship removes that weapon.

What should be the government’s role in assuring health care for Americans? What should be done regarding the ACA to better perform this function?

Healthcare is a human right. Medicare for All: single-payer, free at point of service, everyone covered regardless of immigration status. No premiums, no deductibles, no copays. Eliminate private insurance for covered services because insurance companies add zero value and profit from denying care. The ACA was a temporary patch on a broken system. We don't fix it. We replace it entirely. Government's role is guaranteeing care, not subsidizing corporate middlemen.

What is your vision for a solution to conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinians? What should the United States be doing to advance this position?

Arms embargo on Israel immediately. Our government funds genocide in Gaza. Over 70,000 Palestinians killed, children starving to death while we send weapons. This is genocide. Leverage the $3.8 billion in annual military aid for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access, and Palestinian self-determination. Support BDS. What we tolerate in Gaza sets the standard for what we tolerate everywhere. Palestinian liberation is not complicated. It requires ending U.S. complicity in mass atrocities.