Swatson, a North Side native who now lives in Deutschtown with his partner Alycia and their two children, works with a number of local organizations. He serves on the board of Grow Pittsburgh and the local chapter of the NAACP and is the board treasurer of Sustainable Pittsburgh. He also sits on the Three Rivers Allegheny Land Initiative committee tasked with conserving urban land for green space.
“In recent months, I have been profoundly considering how I might best empower people and neighborhoods that have been shut out of the wave of prosperity sweeping our city,” said
The district includes Northview Heights, Summer Hill, Observatory Hill
He challenges incumbent Darlene Harris, who has represented the district since 2006.
In 2014,
For his efforts, Swatson was recently selected for Pittsburgh Business Times' 30 under 30, Pittsburgh Magazine's 40 Under 40, and Sprout Fund’s Legacy Award.
His campaign
He also questions the legitimacy of UPMC’s nonprofit status given how much power it wields over the city as a major economic driver and employment provider.
Though he has yet to voice his stance on bike infrastructure, it would be interesting to see how
Among his early supporters is Jeff Betten of the Pittsburgh-based music label, Misra Records, who announced his own bid for the 1st District City Council seat last fall. In a post on his campaign Facebook page, Betten endorsed Swatson after dropping out of the running due to professional obligations.
“I've gotten to know Quincy Kofi Swatson pretty well over the past year, and when he agreed to get in the race I wanted to make sure that I threw my support to him as soon as possible in a sign of unity,” Betten wrote. “We share the same values, so you can rest assured that our platform will continue to have a voice. I think that he'll be the candidate for the North Side that Darlene Harris can only dream of being!”
6 p.m. 502 E. Ohio St., North Side. quincyforcouncil.com