John Russo and Sandré Swanson in Assembly District 16

The Sierra Club endorses Sandré Swanson and John Russo for State Assembly, 16th District (Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda).

Sandré Swanson

Sandré Swanson has devoted his 30-year career to public service, working five years as chief of staff for Rep. Barbara Lee, and before that as district director and senior policy advisor for Rep. Ron Dellums.

In those positions Swanson led many groundbreaking efforts to protect the environment and create jobs. He managed the East Bay military-base-conversion effort, helping to clean up and transfer Navy land to the city of Alameda; and managed the nationally recognized Port Dredging Project, using nearly 100% of the dredged sediment to restore wetlands and shallow-water habitat in San Francisco Bay.

In addition to the Sierra Club, Swanson's endorsers include the League of Conservation Voters, California Teachers Association, California Nurses Association, California Labor Federation, and Rep. Barbara Lee.

John Russo

Courageous and effective, John Russo has an environmental record few East Bay elected officials can match.

As a private citizen, Russo was attorney for Oakland's winning Nuclear Free Zone and Open Space Bond campaigns. He argued the case which put the Green Party on the state ballot in 1992.

While a city councilmember, Russo successfully sponsored Oakland's excellent Creek Protection Ordinance and Integrated Pest Management policy.

Currently Oakland's city attorney, Russo has vigorously defended these farsighted environmental policies from legal and political challenges. His work was key in closing Northern California's only dioxin-producing medical-waste incinerator.