City Government
Swindell vs Jordan
September 30, 2005 
Talk About Rehabilitation!
Brandi Swindell was sentenced to 25 hours of community service for her role in a protest over removal of the Ten Commandments rock in Julia Davis Park. Now she wants to do it full time.
To hear incumbent city councilors tell it, she will do 25 hours community service the first day on the job–if she defeats Council President Maryanne Jordan.
The attractive 28-year-old single woman currently works for a pro-life Christian group, but says she will be more than a one issue candidate. In a STATESMAN interview she touched on issues such as infill development, growth, annexation of people against their will, and smoothing the way for developers. Something for everyone.
The GUARDIAN will do a broader posting after the Friday filing deadline for council candidates.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Sep 30, 2005, 10:24 am
YEAH!!! A misguided Fundy vying for public office!!! I expect that her decisions would be based on logic and reason; not faith, belief, morals, or values. Is that possible for someone who is willing to be arrested for a rock in park?
Sep 30, 2005, 11:00 am
Up until this point, I had been pretty apathetic regarding the city council race, and likely wasn’t going to vote.
Then I read that Brandy Swindell is running.
Good lord is that woman an extremist. I’ll definitely be at the polls, and bringing as many people as I can with me, to vote against her.
Sep 30, 2005, 4:34 pm
Ms. Swindell enjoys face time with the local mainstream media far too much to be a public official who decides based on anything other than her neverending search for controversy. If nothing else, perhaps this endeavor will lead her to see herself the way others see her, rather than in the narcissistic way she has been viewing herself. Not married, go figure.
Sep 30, 2005, 8:19 pm
We’ll see. If she can effectively outline a plan to address more than the 10 commandments issue I wouldn’t just dismiss her. There are a lot of us in SW Boise really hacked off at the current administration and council. A lot of us would vote for anyone short of Attilla the Hun or Stalin instead of the incumbents.
Sep 30, 2005, 10:40 pm
It is time for Jordan to go. Her alliance to the Clegg/Sheely “we know more than any voter in Boise” aproach has got to stop.
Jordan is a confirmed city insider and rolls over to developers and department heads and spends most of her time keeping city employees happy rather than representing the hundreds of voters and property owners that appear before her on a weekly basis.
Jordan says that she is the only candidate for her seat that can handle the job or has the “experience” – frankly both statements confirm her over-inflated opinion of herself – – and this opinion shows in her votes.
Brandi may not be an insider – that is a plus – and she can work just as hard as Jordan.
Jordan has shown she is not for the “average voter” and her comments today continue to show her lofty view of herself.
It is time for a change and Brandi can and will do just fine.
Oct 1, 2005, 7:42 am
Swindell for Council?????? Great, her platform will be all bars close at 8pm, mandatory church attendence, no reproductive rights for women. Only christians can vote, talk about your American Taliban, here she comes, poster girl for the religious right.
Oct 1, 2005, 12:39 pm
I’m not a huge fan of Brandi Swindell myself, but keep your shirts on. This is going to make for a most amusing campaign! I’m on the liberal end of things, and would vote against her if it didn’t mean a vote for Jordan. It brings to mind the quote, “If God wanted us to vote, He would have given us candidates.”
I imagine your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek, BC, but in case it isn’t, bear in mind that the Boise City Council has no bearing on reproductive rights, has no constitutional authority over who votes, or who goes to church.
In her Statesman interview, she cited growth, neighborhood rights, affordable housing, and a city council that listens to citizens as her top priorities.
You may need to ask the candidate herself about last call, though.
Oct 1, 2005, 4:29 pm
BoiseCitizen, your comments make you look like a left wing nut. As Vieve pointed out, the City Council has no control over any of those things you mentioned. However, in typical liberal fashion, when a religious person runs for office, someone has to cry “the sky is falling”. Is it possible that someone with firm religious beliefs could be a good thing? (and by firm, I’m mean someone who actually practices what they preach) How refreshing it would be for someone in government to actually believe what they say and do what they say they’ll do. All that said, I actually support Jordan in this one 🙂
Oct 1, 2005, 5:11 pm
Well, this is getting interesting….I wish I hadn’t moved out of Boise. While we may recognize that the City Council can’t foster reproductive rights, or force one to get religion, it is still obvious that Ms. Swindell has a very narrow view of life and seems to be exceedingly unaware of the views of others. On the other hand, she does have spirit and I admire strong women. She wouldn’t get my vote, but it ought to make for a great few weeks of news!
Oct 2, 2005, 6:39 am
OK, ok, I may have been a little over the top in trying to be humorous. However, Christian fundamentalists like Swindell have time and again showed that they have trouble dealing with an open mind. Look at Bryan Fischer’s remarks after attending a meeting with the Dali Lama for example. Ms. Swindell will be just another conservative in a town full of them. This is a woman who felt compelled to go to Florida and support the Federal intervention in what was really just a family dispute. Will she push for intelligent design in our schools? How about pressuring the school district to end what sex ed classes there may be? Then there is the propensity of Idahoans to elect anyone with an “R” next to their name. Sure the council seats are supposed to be non-partisan but when Tracy Andrus ran against Brent Coles ten years ago where did Brent get all of his money? That elephant in the corner is not asleep you know. After a spell on the council, a run at the state level then on to Congress? Sound far fetched? Not in this one party state. Our forefathers had the wisdom to ensure that government would not recognize one religion over any other. Christians do have a right to run for any office. That they have strong beliefs and use them as a moral compass is fine, but do not use the power of a political office to push those belief’s on those of us who choose to believe differently.
Oct 2, 2005, 1:34 pm
Not to pick nits, but the state is in charge of sex ed and science curriculum, not the city.
Believe it or not, I’m pretty much on your side here. Your concern over the fundamentalization of government is valid indeed. Just be sure to aim at the real target rather than imagined ones.
Oct 2, 2005, 2:25 pm
Let’s see. No one else has the time, energy, or desire to run for Jordan’s seat. Brandi Swindell steps up to the plate and makes a race out of it. And now I read that some people are upset about her running? What are people upset about… she might win? Why didn’t someone else run?
Wake up Boise, If she gets elected its because you sat on your butt, and let it happen. Maybe you should run the next time.
Oct 5, 2005, 12:14 pm
I’m a firm believer in a strong separation between church and state, but who says Brandi will be a poor city councillor just because she is a religious zealot? Personally, I’m all in favor of breaking up the Jordan/Shealey/Clegg troika as soon as possible. Brandi may not be your idea of a perfect candidate, but thank goodness someone had the stones to step up and do something!
I can’t wait until it’s Clegg and Shealey’s turn.
Oct 5, 2005, 11:19 pm
It is a fact that Jordan is not listening to the voters and thinks she knows better than us….I think that is worse than having somone on the Council who believes in something enough to stand up for it.
Oct 10, 2005, 11:03 am
Hooray for Brandi for having the guts to stand up and run. The council needs someone who will listen to the people who elect them and pay them. (not developers and contractors)There are some 6000 people in SW Boise who think that the council is non-responsive to what citizens want and bypass citizens voting rights whenever possible.
Someone serving on the Boise City Council cannot force their religious views on citizens.We should welcome a council member who might follow the Golden Rule for a change! This would be a Great change, much needed!!
Nov 2, 2005, 9:51 am
People, take a look at the education and experience of both candidates here: Swindell graduated from Meridian High School and has no (college) degree. She’s dedicated and determined; but not enough to get the education needed to prove herself as a ‘well-rounded’ individual who can look at issues objectively. Jordan has a degree in political science, and has significant knowledge of City issues that are already on the table. I’d probably vote for an educated and seasoned professional in the seat instead of an ambitious cheerleader with a conservative agenda. But that’s just me.
Feb 1, 2006, 9:28 am
So Brandi Just came and talked to my school about her beliefs, and issues that she has addressed or would like to address. I am so sick of the liberals trying to take away our religious freedoms- yeah to you it might just be a stupid rock, but it has a lot more signifigance than just grass deco. What is so wrong about priciples and basic rules? I am a 17 year old Boise citizen and i’m conservative.