[5] In the early 1980s, Swalm began writing op-ed pieces opposing government transportation subsidies and joined the Independence Institute, a Colorado free-market think tank, eventually becoming a senior fellow.

[7] Swalm has taught Sunday school and served on the missions committee of his church, Grace Chapel, and has taken several missionary trips to the Amazon Basin in Bolivia.

[11] That year, Swalm sponsored legislation that would require sex offenders to register their email addresses and other online identities with the state.

[12] After being defeated in committee, the bill was resubmitted to apply only to sex offenders whose victims are children,[13] and was signed into law.

[17] For the 2008 legislative session, Swalm plans to sponsor a measure that would create a special pass to offset state park maintenance costs.

[20] He has also, working with Democratic Rep. Morgan Carroll, introduced legislation to extend a fund to provide financial assistance to military families.

[26] Swalm also reintroduced his bill to require sex offenders to register their email addresses, which was again killed in committee.

Swalm faces Diana Holland, a Democrat and Littleton School Board member,[28] and Constitution Party candidate Brian Olds in the November general election.