Eric Swalwell has emboldened his political activism with local support, garnering a seat on the Dublin council, but now seeks to usurp the 39-year entrenched incumbent Pete Stark from his congressional seat this fall.

The 31-year-old Congressional candidate kicked off his campaign in his hometown Dublin for the newly drawn 15th Congressional district Tuesday to a large gathering of local supporters and endorsements, ranging from former mayor Janet Lockhart to councilmembers from neighboring cities.

Swalwell has proven to be a vigorous campaigner in recent months, knocking on hundreds of doors for his Listening Tour and visiting coffee shops on his Espresso Yourself Tour.

Stark, 80, has spent half his life in Congress but Swalwell is confident in California’s new primary system ability to shake the political framework enough to give way to a new Congressman.

He believes Stark’s time has passed and that Stark’s 39-year incumbency has resulted in a loss of effectiveness. Swalwell claims that he won’t repeat what Stark has and that he has no desire in becoming a career politician.

“All of our contributions come 100 percent from the local area while 90 percent of Stark’s comes from political action committees; this is the kind of stuff people are sick and tired of.”

Swalwell addressed his supporters by highlighting points concerning economy and energy, and promoting cooperation between parties instead of what he calls “extreme partisanship that is destroying this country.”

“Unless we are able to reach across party lines then nothing will ever get done,” said Swalwell.

Swalwell believes he can bring back jobs to the East Bay if he is elected to Congress.

“We need to get job creation and government on the same page. Right now they are heading in two different directions but will end up in the same place: bankrupt,” Swalwell said to his supporters.

Swalwell believes the East Bay can be a haven of hi-tech industry and alternative energy manufacturings that can bring back jobs to the Bay Area and help lean off our reliance on oil. While Stark, according to Swalwell, spends time on frivolous topics like pushing Congress to honor a national Darwin day, Swalwell says he will spend his time creating jobs for America.

Swalwell was born and raised in Dublin and refers to himself as an East Bay native with an enthusiastic endeavor to accomplish economic and energy sufficient objectives.

“We need someone who is from the area and who is going to be here. What happens usually is that we elect these officials and they go to Washington and we never hear from them again and they transform into these monsters of Washington that are disconnected with the needs of their community,” said Swalwell.

According to Swalwell, Stark is one of these Congressional officials who lost touch with the community that elected him.

While Swalwell retains a prominence in the Tri-Valley, the Hayward area has proved to be more elusive to the candidate.

“Having worked in the Hayward court houses, I think I can connect with those voters,” said Swalwell. “I’ve engaged with the Hayward chamber of commerce and I’ve gone to the Latino business roundtable in Hayward.”

Swalwell is inexperienced in Washington but believes his inexperience is a strong campaigning point. He revels in presenting himself as fresh blood to an aging Congress. His age and social media usage is a campaign strategy to rally younger voters to his candidacy.

“We have been able to excite and energize young people who have never been involved in any political race before,” said Swalwell, “but we have also found that we can reach the older crowd that usually votes and connect with them.”

Swalwell likes to draw an analogy between his candidacy and when Stark started 39 years ago as the young challenger on the national political scene and proceeded to defeat his long standing opponent, U.S. Representative George Paul Miller.

“For those that don’t know, Pete Stark as a younger member first running for Congress ran against a Democratic incumbent, and he was told to slow down and wait till he retired,” said Steven Lockhart, whose family hosted Swalwell’s campaign kick-off gathering on Tuesday. “Pete Stark didn’t do that. He forced his way in and beat the sitting democrat, so he really can’t say much to Eric.”  

Stark was contacted for comment on the election but hasn’t returned phone calls.

Swalwell hopes to make good on this support going into the final three- month stretch to the Jun. 5 primaries with local support and continuous campaign contribution.