Ashley Swearengin

Ashley Swearengin
24th Mayor of Fresno
Assumed office
January 6, 2009
Preceded by Alan Autry
Personal details
Born Ashley Emile Newton
(1972-05-24) May 24, 1972
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Paul Swearengin
Alma mater California State University,
Fresno

Ashley Emile Swearengin (née Newton)[1] (born May 24, 1972)[2][3] is the Mayor of Fresno, California and is Fresno's second female mayor. She was elected in a run-off election on November 4, 2008. On March 5, 2014, Swearengin announced her candidacy for State Controller.[4]

Early life and education

Swearengin was born in Texas and raised in Arkansas. Her family moved to Fresno in 1987. She graduated from Fresno Christian High School[5] and California State University, Fresno. She has Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees.[6]

Early political career

In 2000, she was nominated to become Director of Community and Economic Development at Fresno State University.

In 2002, she co-founded the Regional Jobs Initiative (RJI), an industry-focused effort aimed at helping the unemployment in Fresno County. She served as the Chief Operations Officer.

In 2005, she became lead executive for the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, a group formed by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today, she serves as the deputy chair of the Partnership’s board of directors.[7]

Mayor of Fresno

Elections

In 2008, she ran for Mayor of Fresno, California. Swearengin campaigned on the four "priority issues" of Jobs and Education; Safe, Quality Neighborhoods; Effective and Responsive Government; and Regional Leadership.[8] She defeated Henry T. Perea 54%-45%.[9]

In 2012, she won re-election to a second term with 75% of the vote, defeating four other candidates.[10]


Tenure

In her first week in office, she and Police Chief Jerry Dyer introduced Operation Monitor: designed to allow GPS tracking devices on registered sex offenders even after they're released from parole.[11] She inherited a difficult budget shortfall. She stated "I don't think anybody thought that within an 11 month window we'd have to close a $55 million dollar budget shortfall. When I started this job the general fund was $255 million dollars. So a $55 million dollar hole is significant for an organization of our size."[12]

In March 2012, Ashley Swearengin announced that the City was facing a fiscal emergency because of the state's continued economic troubles combined with high cost contracts for certain segments of the city's labor force. A USA Today listed Fresno among 10 cities that could follow Stockton and Vallejo into Chapter 9 bankruptcy.[13]

The unemployment level of the city of Fresno is 12.5%, and has fallen since Mayor Swearengin came into office.[14] She proposed a plan called "Fresno's First Steps Home," which will battle chronic homelessness in the city.[15]

Other Elections

In 2014, she ran for the California Controller's office, but lost to Betty Yee, 54-46.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Texas birth index
  2. ↑ Dillard, Gabriel (May 30, 2012). "Fresno mayor marks highs, lows in 'State of City'". The Business Journal. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ Quiring, Suzanna (May 22, 2008). "Alumna fosters mayoral dreams". The Feather. Fresno Christian High School. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin plans bid for state controller". Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Ward, Austin. "News article | Auction nets $120k, sells out seats". The Feather. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  6. ↑ Swearengen's biography
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ http://www.ashley4mayor.com/PRIORITYISSUES/tabid/57/Default.aspx
  9. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=474115
  10. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=764324
  11. ↑ http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=9629040&nav=menu612_2_2
  12. ↑ http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=11782646
  13. ↑ http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/05/16/3302728/fresno-mayor-state-of-city-to.html#storylink=cpy
  14. ↑ http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ca_fresno_msa.htm
  15. ↑ http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8165417
  16. ↑ https://ballotpedia.org/Ashley_Swearengin

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Alan Autry		 Mayor of Fresno
2009–present 		Incumbent
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