FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: David Schecter
Tuesday, December 04, 2007	559-307-7250

Swearengin Ranks in Top Tier of Fresno Mayoral Race

Just 18 days after announcing her candidacy, Ashley Swearengin has surged to second place in the race to become Fresno’s next Mayor, according to a poll of likely voters.

Swearengin, head of the Fresno Regional Jobs Initiative project, beat out 3 current and former Fresno city council members in the poll commissioned by ABC30 Action News. Swearengin finished six percentage points ahead of Jerry Duncan, seven points ahead of Tom Boyajian and 13 points ahead of Mike Dages.

"I’m very pleased that the voters of Fresno have confidence in the experience I have to offer and the success I’ve had in getting things done for our community," said Swearengin. "As Mayor, I believe I can make even greater contributions to Fresno’s economic prosperity and quality of life."

In addition to surveying voters about the Mayor race, the ABC30 poll also asked them to comment on their current impressions of City Hall in general. According to the results,  49% of survey respondents characterized Fresno as a "poorly run" city.

"These numbers are very troubling and I think they clearly show that the people of Fresno are ready to move beyond business as usual," Swearengin said.

Finally, the poll identified gangs and economic development as the most pressing concerns among local voters at the present time. Swearengin sees a vital link between these two very significant issues.

"Protecting our community from violent crime will always be a top priority. The best antidote to the gang problem is education and employment," Swearengin said. "By strengthening our economy and offering more job opportunities in Fresno to those who want to work, we can break the back of gang activity in our city."