Shirley A. Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Ohio Senate from the 21st district | |
| In office January 2, 2007 – November 30, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | C. J. Prentiss |
| Succeeded by | Sandra Williams |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 10th district | |
| In office January 6, 2003 – January 2, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Annie L. Key |
| Succeeded by | Eugene Miller |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 8th district | |
| In office January 3, 1999 – January 6, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | C. J. Prentiss |
| Succeeded by | Lance Mason |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 29, 1950 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Cuyahoga Community College (AA) Cleveland State University (BA) |
Shirley A. Smith (born November 29, 1950) is an American politician who served as a member of the Ohio Senate from 2007 to 2014. Previously, she was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. She is a Democrat.
Early life and education[edit]
Smith is a native of Cleveland. She earned an associate degree from Cuyahoga Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cleveland State University.[1]
Career[edit]
Smith has worked in sales and marketing, and as a radio talk-show host for a major radio station in Cleveland, and has also served as an independent consultant for Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
When incumbent C. J. Prentiss decided to run for the Ohio Senate, Smith and four other Democrats sought to replace her in the 1998 primary election. Smith won the District 8 nomination with 35.29% of the vote.[2] She won the general election against Republican Dominic Rini with 86.15% of the vote.[3] Smith won reelection in District 8 in 2000 against Republican Ronnie Jones with 87.2% of the vote.[4]
In 2002, Smith again faced a primary challenge from four other Democrats, due to redistricting. However she won the District 10 nomination with 43.66% of the vote.[5] She went unopposed in the general election[6] and was unopposed for the 2004 general election.[7] For the 126th General Assembly, Smith served as secretary of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC).
Ohio Senate[edit]
In late 2005, Smith announced that she would run to succeed term-limited Prentiss in the Senate, along with Representatives Annie L. Key, Claudette Woodard and two other Democrats. While it was a contested primary, Smith defeated the opposition to take the District 21 nomination with 50.86% of the votes.[8] She won the general election with 85.34% of the electorate.[9] In the 127th General Assembly, Smith served as president of the OLBC.
Early in 2008, the Senate Democrats ousted Minority Leader Teresa Fedor and replaced her with Ray Miller, as well as Smith as assistant minority leader. With the beginning of the 128th General Assembly, the caucus retained Smith in her role as assistant minority leader under Capri Cafaro.
In 2010, Smith won election to a second term in the Senate, defeating Republican Burrell Jackson with 84.4% of the vote.[10]
Smith resigned a month prior to the end of her term.
2021 U.S. House campaign[edit]
On January 19, 2021, Smith declared her candidacy in the Democratic primary for the 2021 special election in Ohio's 11th congressional district.[11] She placed fifth with 583 votes, 0.8% of the 75,064 total votes cast, in the August 3 primary.[12]
Electoral history[edit]
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Shirley Smith | 52,296 | 84.07% | Burrell Jackson | 9,908 | 15.93% | ||
| 2006 | Shirley Smith | 54,492 | 85.22% | Richard Norris | 9,448 | 14.78% |
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Shirley Smith | 26.174 | 100.00% | Unopposed | ||||
| 2002 | Shirley Smith | 14,908 | 100.00% | Unopposed | ||||
| 2000 | Shirley Smith | 26,947 | 87.20% | Ronnie Jones | 3,959 | 12.80% | ||
| 1998 | Shirley Smith | 18,969 | 86.15% | Dominic Rini | 3,049 | 13.85% |
Personal life[edit]
Smith is divorced with two children. She lives in Cleveland, but also owns property in South Euclid, Ohio.
References[edit]
- ^ "Shirley Smith | Ohio Statehouse". www.ohiostatehouse.org. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ Taft, Robert II. "Ohio House of Representatives: May 3, 1998 Official Results". Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Taft, Robert II. "Ohio House of Representatives: November 3, 1998". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Blackwell, Kenneth. "Ohio House of Representatives: November 7, 2000". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Blackwell, Kenneth. "Democratic State Representative Official Tabulation: May 7, 2002". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Blackwell, Kenneth. "State Representative Official Tabulation: November 5, 2002". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ Blackwell, Kenneth. "Ohio House of Representatives: November 2, 2004". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ Blackwell, Kenneth. "Democratic Ohio Senate: May 6, 2006". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Blackwell, Kenneth. "Ohio Senate: November 7, 2006". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ Brunner, Jennifer. "Ohio Senate: November 2, 2010". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Richardson, Seth A.; clevel; .com (2021-01-19). "Shirley Smith, former Ohio senator, announces bid for 11th Congressional District". cleveland. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ White, Isaac; Lee, Jasmine (3 August 2021). "Ohio Special Primary Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
External links[edit]
- Campaign website
- Profile from the Ohio Statehouse Museum