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Al Swift was born in Tacoma, Washington on September 12, 1935, where he later graduated from Lincoln High School. Swift attended Whitman College in Walla Walla from 1953 to 1955, then graduated in 1957 with a B.A. in Journalism from Central Washington University in Ellensburg. While attending college, Swift began his career in broadcasting by working for local radio stations. After graduation, he joined KVOS Television and Radio in Bellingham, Washington. Swift was promoted to program director of KVOS in 1962.

In 1965, Swift joined Congressman Lloyd Meeds' (D-WA) staff as his first administrative assistant where he remained for the next five years. In 1969, Swift returned to KVOS as news and public affairs director. While at KVOS, he produced many programs on state and local issues and, in the process, won many awards, including the prestigious Emmy award. While in Bellingham, Swift remained active in community affairs. In the early 1970s he played a key roll in rewriting Bellingham's 1906 city charter. By 1975 he had became chairman of a citizen's advisory committee on Bellingham schools and was appointed by Mayor Ken Hertz to the Bellingham Housing Authority.

In 1977 Swift returned to Representative Meeds' staff as his top aide. When Meeds decided to retire, Swift resigned from his position to begin his own campaign for Washington's 2nd Congressional District. Throughout the 1978 campaign Swift was considered the underdog and his first hurdle was to gain the State Democratic Party nomination. Senator Henry Jackson's longtime press secretary, Brian Corcoran, was considered a "shoe-in" for the nomination yet Swift came from far behind to defeat Corcoran in the primary election by 3,881 votes. His next hurdle was Republican John Nance Garner, who nearly ousted Meeds in 1976. Garner spent extensively on his campaign against Swift, but Swift attacked Garner's heavy spending which turned Garner's monetary advantage into a liability. The outcome was a 51 percent victory for Swift.

Once elected to Congress it did not take Swift long to become active. He was a protegé of Senator Warren G. Magnuson, and it was through Magnuson's influence that Swift was appointed to the Energy and Commerce Committee in his freshman term. During his congressional career he also chaired the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials and the Elections Subcommittee. Membership on these key committees allowed Swift to play a major role in some of the most important issues that arose during his tenure, including broadcast deregulation, telecommunications, uniform polling results, the Northwest Power Bill, the Motor Voter Law, campaign finance reform, and the spotted owl controversy.

Swift was described by Alan Ehrenharlt of "Congressional Quarterly" in 1986's Politics in America as "patient, diligent, and disdainful of publicity, he is one of the most impressive legislators to arrive in Congress in recent years." This kind of sentiment and his reputation for being the legislative expert on broadcasting and telecommunication issues led to the naming of Swift as one of the twelve most underrated members of Congress in 1985.

Swift was first elected in 1978 and served 8 successive terms until 1994 when he chose not to run for reelection.