Jeffrey Edward Smith (born March 15, 1955) is an American Democratic politician and former small business owner from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He has served as a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 31st Senate district since 2019. He previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, from 2007 to 2011.
Early life Jeff Smith was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and has lived nearly his entire life in the Eau Claire area. He graduated from Eau Claire's North High School in 1973 and then took up his father's window-cleaning company, which he ran until he sold it in 2011.
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. Smith also served as the co-chair of the Eau Claire County Democratic Party. He is a member of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.
Smith was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2006, unseating the Republican incumbent Robin Kreibich.Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (comp.). State of Wisconsin 2009-2010 Blue Book. Madison: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 2009, p. 81. 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.
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.
Based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionnaire sent to all Congressional candidates in 2008, the NRA 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. In 2010, Smith earned a 100% rating from the Wisconsin League of Conservation voters.
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."
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.Unknown Laning publicly stated that she had refused Smith’s offer and criticized Smith for mentioning the offer in campaign literature. Shortly after the letter controversy, Smith wrote an open letter dropping out of the race and asking his supporters to support Laning.
Electoral history Wisconsin Assembly (2004–2014)
Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 2004 Primary Democratic 1,617 55.51% Dem. 1,292 44.35% 2,913 325 General Republican 16,997 52.23% Dem. 15,501 47.63% 32,543 1,496 2006 Primary Democratic 2,677 50.40% Dem. 2,635 49.60% 5,312 42 General Democratic 11,872 50.62% Rep. 11,565 49.31% 23,452 307 2008 General Democratic 19,276 59.35% Rep. 13,161 40.52% 32,479 6,115 2010 General Republican 11,080 50.12% Dem. 11,006 49.79% 22,105 74 2012 General Republican 15,612 50.78% Dem. 15,114 49.16% 30,742 498 2014 General Republican 13,367 55.40% Dem. 10,749 44.55% 24,130 2,618
Wisconsin Senate (2018–present)
Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 2018 Primary Democratic 8,643 49.94% Dem. 4,503 26.02% 17,307 4,140 Dem. 4,151 23.98% General Democratic 40,073 51.67% Rep. 35,684 46.01% 77,561 4,389 Grn. 1,776 2.29% 2022 General Democratic 38,936 50.42% Rep. 38,239 49.52% 77,223 697
References
External links Profile at the Wisconsin Senate Campaign website
Follow the Money - Jeff Smith 2008 2006 2004 campaign contributions Campaign 2008 campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign "Wisconsin State Assembly Election", 2012