Jefferson Smith (politician)
| Jefferson Smith | |
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| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 47th district |
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In office 2009–2012 |
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| Preceded by | Jeff Merkley |
| Succeeded by | Jessica Vega Pederson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 29, 1973 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
University of Oregon Harvard Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Jefferson Smith (born June 29, 1973) is an American entrepreneur, radio personality, and politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Oregon, founder of the Bus Project, and served in the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 47 in east Portland, from 2009 to 2012. He was one of two candidates for Mayor of Portland in 2012 to advance beyond the primary election, but lost to Charlie Hales in the November general election.
He served in the 2010 and 2012 legislative sessions, but to facilitate his run for mayor he did not run for reelection to the House and he vacated his seat after serving four years.
Smith was born in Portland in 1973 to attorney and former Umatilla County district attorney R. P. Joe Smith and family therapist Suzanne Peck. He was named for U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. He is a great-great-great grandnephew of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism. His parents split before his second birthday, and he moved with his mother to South Pasadena, California. He returned to Portland during his seventh-grade year, and later became class president at Grant High School. His mother died of breast cancer when Smith was a teenager.
Smith earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Oregon, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. At his father's insistence, he took a year off during college, serving as a youth counselor in Lane County and then running youth sports programs in Washington, D.C. Smith went on to earn a law degree from Harvard Law School, where he finished in the top five percent in his class.
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