Jamie Swafford has lived in Michigan her entire life. She settled in Richland, Michigan with her husband who recently retired from law enforcement.
She finished her own career in law enforcement recently serving as a liaison between the police and the court system.
Her strong belief in law and order put her on a path at a young age to becoming a law enforcement officer. Jamie graduated from Mattawan High School in 2003. She attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College while working a full-time job in Manufacturing to pay for college and received her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. She completed her internship in her hometown of Kalamazoo at Kalamazoo Public Safety. She continued her studies at Ferris State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and completed the Police Academy.
From there, she worked three jobs and went back to school for fitness and nutrition while waiting for a Law Enforcement opportunity.
She was hired by the Kalamazoo County sheriff’s department where she met and married her husband, Thomas. Shortly thereafter Thomas began a campaign for sheriff of Kalamazoo County. This campaign sparked an interest in politics and she realized the truth of the saying “elections have consequences”. She actively became involved in the local republican party.
During her husband’s 2020 campaign she began speaking at events around the county and assisted other local candidates in their runs for local offices.
She attended a kick-off rally called “Black Voices for Trump” in Atlanta, Georgia where she met many Black conservatives from around the country that she would ultimately see throughout the campaign season.
Also, in 2020 she met the Ethnic Vice Chair of the Michigan Republican Party during a Conservative Minority Summit that she had helped to coordinate to educate minorities about Religious Liberties, Realities of Socialism, and the US Constitution. Through that encounter, she was asked to run for Ethnic Vice Chair she ran and was elected as the next Ethnic Vice Chair of the Michigan Republican Party in 2020. She was excited to reach not only Kalamazoo County residents but became a strong voice for freedom by continuing her efforts advocating for quality candidates including State Representatives, Congressmen, Senators, and numerous local officials in the state of Michigan.
After the election as the coronavirus hit the United States, she, along with others started to get discouraged about the state of affairs in Michigan as well as the U.S. She doubled her efforts to encourage and bring hope around the state by speaking at rallies, hosting and attending numerous events. Her speaking engagements led her to many corners of Michigan where she was introduced to a variety of people. She would later help to connect candidates with specific individuals that could assist with their run for office.
Jamie continues to support candidates and connect them with others from around the state.
During her time around the state of Michigan, she got to know Ryan Kelley. On many occasions, they would see each other during rallies and speaking engagements. As time progressed, they talked about some of the values and beliefs that they both wanted to impart to future generations as well as their mutual passion for America First, and Michigan First candidates. Because of their shared vision for Michigan Ryan has Jamie’s full and complete endorsement as Michigan’s 50th Governor.
MORE TO KNOW ABOUT JAMIE SWAFFORD FROM OUR UNITE FOR MICHIGAN Q&A:
Q. If you were not in your current role/endeavor, what would you be doing instead?
A. Continuing to work in my full-time job and assisting conservative candidates in their campaigns.
Q. What has been the biggest impact in your industry or life in the last 5 years?
A. The biggest impact for me was when Mr. Kelley selected me as his pick for Lieutenant Governor for his gubernatorial campaign.
Q. Where do you see yourself or your business in 5 years?
A. Continuing to advance conservative values in our second term with Governor Ryan Kelley leading the way.
Q. Who do you most admire or are inspired by?
A. I am inspired by and admire many individuals that I have learned about or have mentored me. I draw on the inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge from a variety of people. For example:
My Husband Tom and his continued support for me.
My friend Racheal Denhollander for her courage through the Larry Nassar Trial.
Many of my former Coworkers at the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department for their bravery.
My Parents for their words of wisdom throughout my life.
My favorite is Pastor John MacArthur for his biblical perspective on everyday life.
The incredible strength of Donald Trump for his endurance throughout his presidency.
Q. What organization is top on your list to provide support?
A. In my local Kalamazoo Republican Party, I am a member of the Executive Committee. They have always been there for me.
Q. What is the biggest need you face in your business or organization today?
A. The biggest concern for me right now is finding common ground or unity within the members of the MIGOP. This is an obstacle I know we can overcome especially after the primary elections have been decided.
