"It's time to vote for the person, not the party."
Why I’m Running
My name is Nicki Arnold-Swindle. I am the wife of a combat-disabled 25-year Army Veteran, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, a mother of six, a foster and adoptive parent, a Blue Star mother, a Chaplain Candidate, and a Community Family Life Minister in Anniston, Alabama.
I’m running for the State House of Representatives because I want to be a true representative for the people of District 36. I believe that an effective, productive government is one that operates as close to the people as possible. Yet, for too long, Montgomery has been disengaged, ineffective, and slow to address the real issues facing everyday Alabamians.
We need more open, transparent legislators who will engage their constituents, listen to their concerns, and work across the aisle for effective solutions. That’s the kind of representative I want to be for the people of District 36.
Healthcare, Education, & Jobs
I believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to be successful, but that can’t happen when our citizens are struggling to meet their basic needs. If elected, my first priority will be focused on providing quality education, affordable healthcare and mental healthcare, and sustainable, good paying jobs to the people of our great state.
Additionally, I pledge to support our small businesses and focus on policies that will grow our local economies. I want to make it easier for small businesses to thrive in our communities and do away with needless regulations that protect corporate interests over local entrepreneurs.
Caring For Our Veterans
I strongly believe that we have an obligation to care for the men and women that serve in our military and selflessly risk their lives for the protection of our freedoms. Caring for Veterans and their families must be a priority for Alabama. There is no reason for any Veteran to live without a home, a living wage, and access to proper healthcare. As your representative, I pledge to never turn my back on our Veterans or our Service Members, and will work to ensure they’re taken care of, both at home and abroad. Criminal Justice Reform
A strong criminal justice system is necessary to the well-being of any community. We cannot be soft on those who seek to harm our fellow citizens—especially those who target children and the elderly. However, prison should be for criminals, not patients.
We have to stop imprisoning people with mental illness and substance abuse issues and get them the medical help they need. We must invest in a stronger, comprehensive mental health system that has the tools, resources, and infrastructure to actually care for and treat those in need.
Additionally, we need a stronger focus on rehabilitating prisoners so they can properly reintegrate and become productive members of our society. When men and women are being cycled through the justice system over-and-over, no one wins.
Public Service
Our teachers, law enforcement officers, EMTs, firefighters, social workers, and military service members dedicate their lives to serving our communities, and they should be supported, protected, and paid what they truly deserve. When a social service worker in the food stamp office qualifies for food stamps, that worker is not being paid enough!
Protecting The Least Of These
As a Christian, I take seriously Christ’s call to protect the least of these. However, if we truly value life, then our concern for life cannot stop at birth.
We need to support our mothers and mothers-to-be with quality prenatal and postnatal care, including options that allow mothers to take charge of their births. We need to encourage programs that help to ensure that no woman has to make a choice to give up her baby simply because she cannot care for the child, and we need to support working parents with fair pay, job protection, and quality healthcare.
We must fully fund and expand Medicaid for our children, our seniors, and the disabled so that those who care for them never have to choose between food and medicine. We also need to increase funding for Home and Community-Based Services for those who need extended care.
Civil Rights
This country was founded on the principles of freedom, justice, and equal opportunity—principles that should forever extend to every American, regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, who they love, or how they pray. If elected, I will work to root out and prevent discrimination, violence, and injustice to all and ensure all people are given the same tools and opportunities as everyone else.
No inference or claim is made that I am endorsed or supported by the military in any way, but I proudly support and defend our military Service Members, Veterans, and their Families.
Nicki Arnold-Swindle is a member of the Alabama Army National Guard. Use of her military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, the Alabama Army National Guard, or any other entity to which she is affiliated.