He then served in the United States Army as a paratrooper during World War II in the Pacific.
In the 1962 general election, Swanson defeated Democratic incumbent Robert Maher in a close race.
The 28th district, located on the southwest side of Chicago, included all or parts of Mount Greenwood, Beverly, Morgan Park, West Pullman, Roseland, Auburn Gresham, and Washington Heights.
[3] While a member of the Senate, Swanson proposed making it a felony for landlords to violate the building code as a way to fight blight.
[7] Swanson was convicted in 2006 for lying to a grand jury for some work he did as part of a lobbying assignment at McCormick Place in Chicago.