Adrian M. Smith
Encyclopedia
Adrian M. Smith is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party
. He previously served in the Nebraska Legislature
.
and at a young age his family moved to a rural neighborhood south of Gering, Nebraska
. After graduating from Gering High School
in 1989, Smith attended Liberty University
in Lynchburg, Virginia
. He transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln midway through his second year of college, graduating in 1993. While a student at Nebraska, he interned in the Nebraska Governor’s Office and, later, served as a legislative page in the Nebraska Unicameral. He returned home to Gering after college, and, in 1994, he began serving as a member of the Gering City Council. Smith continues to live in Gering, Nebraska
.
Smith has also worked in the private sector. He has been a realtor as well as a marketing specialist for the housing industry.
Since Nebraska voters passed Initiative Measure 415 in 2001 limiting state senators to two terms after 2001, he was unable to run for reelection.
. Three-term incumbent Tom Osborne gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful run for governor
.
Smith won the Republican primary
with 39% of the vote in a field of five candidates. He faced Democrat
Scott Kleeb
, a ranch hand and Yale graduate, in the general election
.
Approximately one-third of the funding of his campaign came from members of the Club for Growth
, an economic conservative group that supports tax cuts, limited government
, school choice, and advocates eliminating all agricultural subsidies and the elimination of the US Department of Agriculture.
For a time, Smith was presumed to be a prohibitive favorite in this overwhelmingly Republican district. The 3rd is one of the most Republican districts in the nation; presidential and statewide candidates routinely win it with 70 percent or more of the vote. The 3rd is extremely difficult to campaign in and has few unifying influences. It covers nearly 65000 square miles (168,349.2 km²), two time zones, and 68.5 of Nebraska’s 93 counties (one of which, Cherry County
, is larger than the entire state of Connecticut
). However, Kleeb raised more money than any Democrat had raised in the district in decades. Overall, the race was the most expensive in the district since it assumed its current configuration in 1963.
As the race become more competitive than expected, it received late national attention from the House campaign committees
.
President George W. Bush
also made an appearance in the district two days before the election to campaign for Smith—a sign that the national party was very concerned about its chances in what had long been presumed to be a very safe Republican seat.
In the end, Smith won by 10 percentage points, taking 55 percent of the vote to Kleeb's 45 percent.
This was the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district in 16 years; in 1990, Republican Bill Barrett
only defeated fellow Unicameral member Sandra Scofield by 4,400 votes. Besides Bush's visit two days before the election, Smith likely rode the coattails
of Governor
Dave Heineman
, who won many of the counties in the district by margins of 80 percent or more of the vote in his bid for a full term.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He previously served in the Nebraska Legislature
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
.
Early life, education and career
Smith was born in Scottsbluff, NebraskaScottsbluff, Nebraska
Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 15,039 at the 2010 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th largest city in Nebraska....
and at a young age his family moved to a rural neighborhood south of Gering, Nebraska
Gering, Nebraska
Gering is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Scottsbluff, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,751 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Scotts Bluff County....
. After graduating from Gering High School
Gering High School
Gering High School is the only high school in Gering, Nebraska and is located at 1500 U St. It has an enrollment of over 625 students and a student to teacher ratio of 18:1. GHS offers a full range academic courses as well as art, journalism and music programs...
in 1989, Smith attended Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
in Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. He transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln midway through his second year of college, graduating in 1993. While a student at Nebraska, he interned in the Nebraska Governor’s Office and, later, served as a legislative page in the Nebraska Unicameral. He returned home to Gering after college, and, in 1994, he began serving as a member of the Gering City Council. Smith continues to live in Gering, Nebraska
Gering, Nebraska
Gering is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Scottsbluff, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,751 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Scotts Bluff County....
.
Smith has also worked in the private sector. He has been a realtor as well as a marketing specialist for the housing industry.
Nebraska Legislature
He was elected to the Nebraska legislature in 1998, representing the 48th legislative district, and reelected in 2002. He sat on the Natural Resources and Building Maintenance committees and was the vice chairperson of the Transportation and Telecommunications committee. Smith served as Vice Chair of the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee and as Chairman of the Four State Legislative Conference in 2001.Since Nebraska voters passed Initiative Measure 415 in 2001 limiting state senators to two terms after 2001, he was unable to run for reelection.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Ways and MeansUnited States House Committee on Ways and MeansThe Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
- Subcommittee on TradeUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on TradeThe House Way and Means Subcommittee on Trade is one of the six subcommittees within the House Ways and Means Committee-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
- Subcommittee on Social SecurityUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social SecurityThe Subcommittee on Social Security is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:From the House rules...
- Subcommittee on Human Resources
- Subcommittee on Trade
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
2006
Smith ran for the open seat in the 3rd District in the 2006 House electionsUnited States House elections, 2006
- House of Representatives prior to the election :As of November 7, 2006, the U.S. House of the 109th Congress was composed of 229 Republicans, 201 Democrats and 1 Independent . There were also four vacancies...
. Three-term incumbent Tom Osborne gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful run for governor
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
.
Smith won the Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
with 39% of the vote in a field of five candidates. He faced Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Scott Kleeb
Scott Kleeb
' covers most of western Nebraska, comprises 69 counties and is considered to be a traditional Republican stronghold. In the 2006 midterm elections, Republican incumbent Tom Osborne did not seek re-election, instead making a failed bid for the Nebraska gubernatorial nomination...
, a ranch hand and Yale graduate, in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
.
Approximately one-third of the funding of his campaign came from members of the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, an economic conservative group that supports tax cuts, limited government
Limited government
Limited government is a government which anything more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is generally disallowed by law, usually in a written constitution. It is written in the United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 8...
, school choice, and advocates eliminating all agricultural subsidies and the elimination of the US Department of Agriculture.
For a time, Smith was presumed to be a prohibitive favorite in this overwhelmingly Republican district. The 3rd is one of the most Republican districts in the nation; presidential and statewide candidates routinely win it with 70 percent or more of the vote. The 3rd is extremely difficult to campaign in and has few unifying influences. It covers nearly 65000 square miles (168,349.2 km²), two time zones, and 68.5 of Nebraska’s 93 counties (one of which, Cherry County
Cherry County, Nebraska
Cherry County is unusual in being split between two time zones, Mountain Time and Central Time. The lines between the two runs roughly north to south along the eastern third of the county. Cherry County is also the location of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, the Fort Niobrara National...
, is larger than the entire state of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
). However, Kleeb raised more money than any Democrat had raised in the district in decades. Overall, the race was the most expensive in the district since it assumed its current configuration in 1963.
As the race become more competitive than expected, it received late national attention from the House campaign committees
Hill committee
The Hill committees are the common name for the political party committees that work to elect members of their own party to United States Congress...
.
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
also made an appearance in the district two days before the election to campaign for Smith—a sign that the national party was very concerned about its chances in what had long been presumed to be a very safe Republican seat.
In the end, Smith won by 10 percentage points, taking 55 percent of the vote to Kleeb's 45 percent.
This was the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district in 16 years; in 1990, Republican Bill Barrett
Bill Barrett
William E. "Bill" Barrett is a Republican politician from Nebraska who served five terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2001 as the congressman for Nebraska's third congressional district....
only defeated fellow Unicameral member Sandra Scofield by 4,400 votes. Besides Bush's visit two days before the election, Smith likely rode the coattails
Coattail effect
The coattail effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election...
of Governor
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
Dave Heineman
Dave Heineman
David Eugene "Dave" Heineman is the 39th and current Governor of Nebraska. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, who won many of the counties in the district by margins of 80 percent or more of the vote in his bid for a full term.
2010
Smith was re-elected in 2010 with 70 percent of the vote against Democrat Rebekah Davis and Independent Dan Hill.External links
- Congressman Adrian Smith official U.S. House site
- Adrian Smith for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Smith Watch - Nebraska's 3rd District blog critical of Smith and his voting record