Michigan 4th District Congressional Candidate Jessica Swartz Earns Key Labor Endorsement
Former Department of Veterans Affairs Attorney Garners Endorsement from Teamsters Local 406 in Rematch against Huizenga
KALAMAZOO, MI - Today, public interest attorney and West Michigan native Jessica Swartz announces the endorsement of Teamsters Local 406 in a testament to her dedication to the working families of West Michigan. Teamsters Local 406 represents over 7,000 workers at 200 locations across West Michigan.
“Jessica’s dedication to the working class serves as an outstanding example for her peers. Her determination, fortitude, and dedication to advocating for the working men and women of organized labor makes her the right candidate to fight for us in Congress,” said Teamsters Local 406 spokesperson Tom Sidebotham. “Bill Huizenga has been in lock step with the extremist agenda of eroding workers’ rights, workers’ protections, and has continually voted against their interests. Made evident by his 9% lifetime score with the AFL-CIO. It is time for change, it is time to elect Jessica Swartz to Congress.”
Jessica Swartz announced her candidacy to take on Huizenga in a rematch of their 2024 campaign late last week and has already solidified the endorsement of numerous community and labor leaders from across Michigan’s 4th Congressional District.
“West-Michigan working families are feeling first hand the lack of Congressman Huezinga’s leadership.” Said Swartz “The chaos, uncertainty, and faltering economy of the past few months is squarely the responsibility of elected officials like Huizenga. Our communities, neighbors, and families cannot afford politicians who would rather appease party bosses and billionaire oligarchs than stand up for Michiganders when it matters most.”
About Michigan’s Fourth Congressional District
MI-04 has a PVI of R+3 and joins MI-07 and MI-10 as one of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s 2026 “Districts In Play” in Michigan during a midterm where Democrats are already overperforming. In the most recent midterm election, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson each won this district at the same time the district voted to enshrine a woman’s right to choose into the Michigan state constitution (Proposition 3).
Michigan’s Fourth Congressional District spans six counties with urban, suburban, and rural communities. It is home to a number of manufacturers, higher education institutions, and family farms. Its biggest population center is Kalamazoo, where Swartz lives.
About Jessica Swartz
Hard work is in Jessica Swartz’s DNA. Born and raised in West Michigan by a public school teacher and small business owner, Jessica got her first job at age 13. She went on to become a Division One rower at Michigan State University, picking up shifts in the school cafeteria and local restaurants when she wasn’t at practice or studying.
After graduating from American University Washington College of Law, Jessica worked as an appellate attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, making sure veterans got the benefits to which they were entitled by cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse. Jessica waited tables on nights and weekends to pay down her student loans and mortgage.
In 2007, Jessica married her husband, Jamie, a former Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. They moved back to West Michigan to be close to family and raise their daughter. She continued her work for VA at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center before taking a job at Western Michigan University, where she specialized in free speech cases and served as Deputy General Counsel.
In 2018, Jessica worked hard to ban both parties from partisan gerrymandering with the nonpartisan organization Voters Not Politicians. She was also a girl scout troop leader and spends her Sundays at St. Thomas More Catholic Parish Church.
In 2024, Swartz ran for office for the first time, raising $1.1 million. She improved on Democrats’ 2022 showing in the district despite a far more difficult climate that kept national organizations on the sideline.