Jeff Smith (Wisconsin politician)
Jeff Smith | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 31st District | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Kathleen Vinehout |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 93rd Assembly district | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Robin Kreibich |
| Succeeded by | Warren Petryk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 15, 1955 Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | North High School |
| Occupation | Former small business owner |
Jeffrey E. "Jeff" Smith (born March 15, 1955) is an American politician and member of the Wisconsin State Senate. A member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, he represents District 31, which streatches from Eau Claire to Prescott to Black River Falls.
Early life
Smith graduated from North High School in Eau Claire in 1973 and then took up his father's window-cleaning company, which he ran until he sold it in 2011.[1]
Political career
Smith served on the town board for the Town of Brunswick and was chair of the board. He founded the Parent Advisory Committee for the Eau Claire School District. Because of that work, he was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to serve on the Task Force on Educational Excellence in 2003.[2] Smith also served as the co-chair of the Eau Claire County Democratic Party.[3] He is a member of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.[4]
Smith was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2006, unseating the Republican incumbent Robin Kreibich.[5] He was the chair of the Elections and Campaign Reform Committee and a member of five other committees: Colleges and Universities, Financial Institutions, Education, Renewable Energy and Rural Affairs, and Public Safety.[5]
Smith sponsored Assembly Bill 119, which established five-year-old Kindergarten as a prerequisite to first grade in public and charter schools; Assembly Bill 250, which created licensing requirements for dog sellers and animal shelters, and Assembly Bill 276, which divided the UW System Board of Regents into seven geographical districts.[6]
Based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionnaire sent to all Congressional candidates in 2008, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund assigned Smith a grade of C (with grades ranging from a high of A+ to a low of F). Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to the AFL-CIO, Smith received a rating of 100. NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin gave Smith a rating of one-hundred percent on abortion-related issues.[7] In 2010, Smith earned a 100% rating from the Wisconsin League of Conservation voters.[8]
In February 2010, Smith received a Humane State Legislator award from The Humane Society of the United States, which recognized him for his efforts to pass The Dog Breeders Licensure Bill, which regulates large-scale puppy breeding operations, commonly referred to as "puppy mills."[9]
Democratic party chair candidacy
In 2015, Smith was a candidate for chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW), facing Jason Rae, Martha Laning, Joe Wineke, and Stephen Smith. If elected DPW Chair, Smith said he’d make it a priority to engage county parties and empower them to be more proactive.
During the campaign, Smith's campaign penned a letter that criticized Laning for her lack of experience and offered her the post of DPW Executive Director if Smith were to be elected chair.[10] Laning publicly stated that she had refused Smith’s offer and criticized Smith for mentioning the offer in campaign literature.[11] Shortly after the letter controversy, Smith wrote an open letter dropping out of the race and asking his supporters to support Laning.[12]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election[13] | |||||
| Democratic | Jeff Smith | 8,643 | 49.94 | ||
| Democratic | Steve Boe | 4,503 | 26.02 | ||
| Democratic | Jon W. Schultz | 4,151 | 23.98 | ||
| Write-ins | 10 | 0.06 | |||
| Total votes | 17,307 | 100.0 | |||
| General Election[14] | |||||
| Democratic | Jeff Smith | 40,073 | 51.67 | ||
| Republican | Mel Pittman | 35,684 | 46.01 | ||
| Green | Aaron Elaine Camacho | 1,776 | 2.29 | ||
| Write-ins | 28 | 0.04 | |||
| Total votes | 77,561 | 100.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Warren Petryk (Incumbent) | 13,367 | 55.40 | |
| Democratic | Jeff Smith | 10,749 | 44.55 | |
| Write-ins | 14 | 0.06 | ||
| Total votes | 24,130 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Warren Petryk (Incumbent) | 15,612 | 50.78 | |
| Democratic | Jeff Smith | 15,114 | 49.16 | |
| Write-ins | 16 | 0.05 | ||
| Total votes | 30,742 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Warren Petryk | 11,080 | 50.12 | |
| Democratic | Jeff Smith (Incumbent) | 11,006 | 49.79 | |
| Write-ins | 19 | 0.09 | ||
| Total votes | 22,105 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jeff Smith (Incumbent) | 19,276 | 59.35 | |
| Republican | Darcy Fields | 13,161 | 40.52 | |
| Write-ins | 42 | 0.13 | ||
| Total votes | 32,479 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jeff Smith | 11,872 | 50.62 | |
| Republican | Rob Kreibich (Incumbent) | 11,565 | 49.31 | |
| Write-ins | 15 | 0.06 | ||
| Total votes | 23,452 | 100.0 | ||
References
- ^ "Senator Jeff Smith Biography". Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ "Wispolitics" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
- ^ "Jeffrey Smith's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ "Individual Members". Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ a b Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (comp.). State of Wisconsin 2009-2010 Blue Book. Madison: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 2009, p. 81.
- ^ "Smith, Sen. Jeff (31st Sen.Dist.; D)". Wisconsin State Legislature. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=51946
- ^ "League of Conservation Voters Scorecard 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
- ^ "Rep. Jeff Smith Receives Humane Legislator Award". WQOW. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=a1cad923c938cf6db2dfe7cfe&id=d30a2508fe
- ^ Laning, Martha. "An Important Clarification". Martha Laning Democratic Party Chair.
- ^ Kissinger, Meg (4 June 2015). "Jeff Smith drops out of race for Dem Party chairmanship". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2018 Partisan Primary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. August 14, 2018. p. 28. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. November 6, 2018. p. 9. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. November 24, 2014. p. 29-30. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2012 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 26, 2012. p. 30-31. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2010 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 1, 2010. p. 32. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2008 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 1, 2008. p. 32. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2006 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 5, 2006. p. 42. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
External links
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Follow the Money - Jeff Smith
- Campaign 2008 campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
- [1] "Wisconsin State Assembly Election", 2012