Colleen Swann

Colleen Brooklyn Swann (born April 17, 1960) is an American politician, from Massachusetts. A member of the Labor Party, she currently serves as the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, having been elected in November 1992. The district covers about one-third of the state and is more rural than the rest. It has the state's highest point, Mount Greylock; the district includes the cities of Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, Agawam, Holyoke, Chicopee and Westfield.

Early life and education
Colleen Swann was born on 1960, in Worcester, Massachusetts, the oldest of three children of Cathy Miller and Robert Swann. She and her two younger sisters were raised in Springfield by their mother, a housewife, and their father, a custodian at MassMutual. Colleen’s mother died of a heart attack when she was 13. Her father, an alcoholic, died, later that year. Colleen and her two younger sisters moved in with their grandmother and later their aunt, forced to rely on Social Security checks as they grew up.

She attended Springfield Public Day High. She graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree in Education Management.

Massachusetts career
The 2002 U.S. House of Representatives campaign of Colleen Swann was announced on December 9, 2001, after the initial formation of an exploratory committee on November 15, 2001. She was uncontested in her primary. She advanced to the General Election, beating Angus Abercrombie by a margin of 0.20%. She currently serves in this office.

In 2008, Swann formed an exploratory committee on the basis of running for U.S. Senate. If fallen through, she would primary incumbent Senator SP. She decided to not fall through with it, though she has expressed interest in seeking higher office in the future.