Michigan sheriff with buzz about 2026 gubernatorial election praises Kamala Harris’ anti-crime credentials at DNC

CHICAGO, IL — Amid national attention, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the White House in 2024.

Swanson, a Democrat who has hinted at running for governor in 2026, delivered a speech to the crowd at the Democratic National Party Convention in Chicago on Thursday, August 22.

In a two-minute speech, the sheriff referred to an event from his past as a police officer that had received national attention, connecting it to what he described as the need to elect a president who can unite people in times of division and tension.

Swanson came to national attention in 2020 when the sheriff removed his police helmet and joined a protest march against the death of George Floyd, who was killed during his arrest by Minneapolis police.

Swanson’s decision to march with protesters in Michigan weeks later earned him national praise from across the political spectrum, including former President Barack Obama, the administration of former President Donald Trump and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said at the time that Swanson’s handling of the protesters was “one of the things I’m inspired by.”

On Thursday in Chicago, Swanson wore his sheriff’s uniform as he linked his 2020 decision to the need to elect Harris.

“In 2020, righteous anger spilled over into Flint, Michigan,” Swanson told the crowd at the United Center. “Instead of hate, we chose hope.”

He said that if “one bad decision” had been made by protesters or law enforcement, “there would have been bloodshed.”

He compared that decision in Flint to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots that saw many supporters of then-President Trump storm the Capitol as lawmakers tried to certify the election that put Joe Biden in the White House.

“That day was paved with division, deceit and denigration,” Swanson said. “Police officers were attacked that day. It could have been stopped.”

The sheriff said the United States needs a president committed to protection, service and unity in times of social unrest.

“Kamala Harris is that leader,” Swanson said.

The sheriff said the vice president’s background as a prosecutor and as California’s attorney general gives her credibility as a leader committed to fighting crime.

Swanson also appeared to respond to criticism — including from Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee — that Harris came under fire for praising the “defund the police” movement in 2020. Harris has not said she supports defunding the police during her 2024 campaign.

Trump said earlier this week in Howell that the Biden-Harris administration’s policies are leading to more crime and that Harris would “defund” the police if elected president.

However, Swanson disputed these claims.

“I can testify firsthand that where I come from, crime is down and police funding is up,” he told the United Center crowd. “As president, Kamala Harris will unite our country. She will bring us together, because our country needs a leader who will stand up to drug cartels and bullies.”

Swanson’s appearance Thursday wasn’t the first time he’s stepped up to champion Democrats in the 2024 presidential race.

Harris entered the race as the Democratic Party’s frontrunner after Biden announced he would end his re-election bid in July. While Biden was still the presumptive Democratic nominee, Swanson was featured in a political ad supporting the president’s campaign.

The ad aired on TV and streaming platforms in June in the hours before a debate between Trump and Biden. Biden’s shaky performance during that debate led many Democrats to call for Biden to drop out of the race.

In the ad, Swanson called Trump’s response to the 2021 Capitol riots a “dereliction of duty.”

The ad, titled “Stopped,” featured news footage of Trump urging his supporters to “fight like the devil” ahead of the insurrection.

Swanson was no stranger to the world of television shows and streaming networks at the time.

In July 2023, he appeared on the Public Broadcasting Service’s “Off the Record,” where he said he might enter the 2026 race to replace Whitmer, whose term as Michigan governor has ended.

When asked if there was a 50% chance he would campaign for office, Swanson said, “I’ll answer it this way: I never turn down opportunities to help people.”

Swanson, a Fenton resident, was appointed sheriff in December 2019 and won his first full term in 2020, receiving nearly 70% of the vote in that year’s general election.

Republican Jeff Salzeider of Montrose is challenging Swanson for the position of sheriff in this November’s election.

Swanson gained widespread recognition in the state by helping other counties replicate his Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) and a prison education program called Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education (IGNITE).

Swanson also urged a nationwide initiative to establish a registry for animal abusers in Michigan and end the current legal process that leaves pets injured in crimes without a home for years.

Swanson was one of many representatives of Michigan’s political and public life who were honored during the convention at the United Center.

Other Michigan political figures who spoke at the convention this week included Democrats such as U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Traverse City native; U.S. Sen. Gary Peters; U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin; and U.S. Attorney General Dana Nessel and Sen. Mallory McMorrow. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain gave a keynote address. Motown Records legend Stevie Wonder also addressed the crowd, singing his classic R&B hit, “Higher Ground.”

Less than an hour after Swanson took the stage on Thursday, Whitmer addressed the crowd.

The sheriff and Whitmer were given primetime spots on the convention’s program, appearing in the closing segment of the final evening of the four-day event.

His speech followed the appearance of comedian DL Hughley on stage. Swanson’s remarks came about 70 minutes before Harris — the main focus of the convention — addressed the audience at the end of the event.