Jeff Smith (Mississippi politician)

Jeffrey C. Smith (born December 6, 1949) is a lawyer and a politician currently serving as a Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. He has represented the 39th District since 1992. Smith switched from the Democratic Party to the Republicans on June 1, 2011. Smith told reporters that he decided to become a Republican because the Republicans had recruited a candidate to run against him in the upcoming election for House Speaker.[1]

Jeff Smith
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
from the 39th district
Assumed office
January 1992
Personal details
Born (1949-12-06) December 6, 1949
Columbus, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (2011–present)
Democratic (1991–2011)
Alma materMississippi State University
University of Mississippi
Professionlawyer, prosecutor

Smith earned his B.S. and J.D. degrees from Mississippi State University, and was a prosecutor for Lowndes County from 1980-1989.[2]

Committee assignments

Smith currently serves on the standing committees on the constitution, judiciary (committee B), public health and human services, and ways and means.

2012 race for Speaker of the House

Following Speaker William McCoy's decision not to run for re-election in 2011, Smith had been considered a possible frontrunner for the speakership. He lost the 2008 speaker election, in which he was supported by the Republicans; by some Democrats who (like Smith) have since bolted the party; and by Republican governor Haley Barbour by a single vote.[3] The House voted on a new speaker at the start of the 2012 session. A narrow margin of power for either party following the election could force lawmakers to form a coalition in order to elect a new speaker.[4] In the end, however, Philip Gunn was elected speaker without opposition.[5]

Elections

2007

On November 6, 2007 Smith was re-elected in District 39. He defeated James Samuel in the Democratic primary election and ran unopposed in the general election.

2011

Smith was unopposed for re-election (as a Republican) in the 2011 election for Mississippi House of Representatives District 39. He defeated Jack Larmour in the Republican primary on August 2, 2011.[6] No Democratic candidates filed to run for election,[7] and he was re-elected in general election on November 8, 2011.[8]

Campaign donors

2007

In 2007, Smith collected $127,267 in donations.[9]

Personal life

He is President of Swim Columbus and is a Deacon of the First Baptist Church in Columbus.[10] He is married to the former Laura Terrell and they have a son named Corky.

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References
  1. Fox News, House Speaker Candidate Smith Switches to GOP, 1 June 2011
  2. Project Vote Smart - Rep. Smith
  3. "McCoy wins 2nd term as Miss. House speaker over GOP vote". The Natchez Democrat. Associated Press. January 9, 2008. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  4. Race for House speaker begins in earnest," August 3, 2011
  5. Pettus, Emily Wagster (Associated Press). "Brown chosen as No. 2 in Senate" Columbus Dispatch January 3, 2012
  6. Associated Press, "Mississippi Primary Election Results," accessed August 3, 2011.
  7. Mississippi Secretary of State, 2011 Official Primary Candidate List
  8. official 2011 election results.
  9. http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=94824
  10. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/house/smith_(39th).xml
Political offices
Preceded by
-		 Mississippi House of Representatives District 39
1992–present		 Succeeded by
NA
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