Chris Smith (Florida politician)
| Chris Smith | |
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| Member of the Florida Senate from the 31st district |
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Assumed office 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Eleanor Sobel |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 29th district |
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In office 2008–2012 |
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| Preceded by | M. Mandy Dawson |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Ring |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 93rd district |
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In office 1998–2006 |
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| Preceded by | M. Mandy Dawson |
| Succeeded by | Perry E. Thurston, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 15, 1970 Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Desorae Giles-Smith |
| Children | Christopher Leveorn Smith, Christian Nicholas Giles Smith |
| Alma mater | Johnson C. Smith University (B.S.) Florida State University (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Christopher L. "Chris" Smith (born March 15, 1970, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, representing the 31st District, which includes eastern Broward County since 2012.
Smith attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he received a degree in political science. He participated in Model United Nations while in college, even traveling to Moscow, Russia to participate in the International Model United Nations in 1990. Following his undergraduate work, he attended Florida State University, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1995. He started working for the law firm Johnson, Anselmo, Murdoch, Burke & George, P.A., where he currently works. Many critics argue Smith's employment with Johnson, Anselmo, Murdoch, Burke & George, P.A. has led to conflicts in interest during his career in the State Senate: previously serving as a lobbyist for Florida Power & Light (FP&L), Smith protested the confirmation of two former Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) commissioners while serving as State Senator. Though he claimed his reservation for their confirmation was in an effort to increase diversity, it is arguably suspicious that these two commissioners had just denied FP&L's bid for their largest rate increase in history. In 1995, he was appointed to the Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Board.
Following the decision by Democratic State Representative M. Mandy Dawson to run for the Florida State Senate rather than seek re-election, Smith ran to succeed her. Smith faced Perry E. Thurston, Jr., Hazel K. Armbrister, and Fred Segal in the Democratic primary, which was opened to the entire electorate because all of the candidates were Democrats. Though Smith came in first place with 47% of the vote, the fact that he did not attain a majority mandated a run-off election between Smith and Thurston, the second-place finisher, which he won in a landslide, receiving 58% of the vote. He was unopposed in the general election, and was re-elected without opposition in 2002. In 2004, Smith faced Sallie Tillman-Watson in the Democratic primary, but he turned away her challenge easily. He was re-elected to his final term in the general election without opposition. From 2004 to 2006, he served as the Minority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives.
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