Lamar Smith
Lamar Seeligson Smith is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States House of Representatives for for 16 terms, a district including most of the wealthier sections of San Antonio and Austin, as well as some of the Texas Hill Country. He is a member of the Republican Party. He sponsored the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act. He also co-sponsored the Leahy–Smith America Invents Act.
As the head of the House Science Committee, Smith has been criticized for his denial of, and promotion of conspiracy theories about, climate change and for receiving funding from oil and gas companies. He is a former contributor to Breitbart News, a website known for publishing dubious claims about climate change.
In November 2017, Smith announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his current term, and not seek re-election in 2018. In 2021, Smith registered as a lobbyist for the surveillance firm HawkEye 360 on behalf of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. In 2022, he officially registered as a foreign agent.
Early life, education, and legal career
Smith attended a private high school, then called Texas Military Institute, now known as TMI — The Episcopal School of Texas, and graduated in 1965. He then earned a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University.In 1969, Smith was hired as a management intern by the Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C. He was a business and financial writer for the Christian Science Monitor, was admitted to the Texas bar in 1975, and went into private practice in San Antonio with the firm of Maebius and Duncan, Inc.
State politics
In 1978, he was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Bexar County. In 1980, Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives representing Bexar County, the 57th District. He served on the Energy Resources Committee and the Fire Ants Select Committee. In 1982, he was elected to the 3rd Precinct of the Bexar County Commissioners Court and served from 1983 to 1986.U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
1986
In 1986, four-term incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Tom Loeffler of Texas's 21st congressional district decided to retire to run for governor of Texas. Smith led a crowded six-way primary with 31% of the vote and then defeated Van Archer in the run-off election 54–46%. He won the general election with 61% of the vote.1988–2002
During this time period, he never won re-election with less than 72% of the vote.2004
Smith's district was significantly altered in the 2003 Texas redistricting. While he lost most of the Hill Country to the 23rd District, he picked up a significant portion of Austin, including the area around the University of Texas, a traditional bastion of liberalism. Smith won re-election with 62% of the vote, Smith's lowest winning percentage since his initial run in 1986.2006
In 2006, the Supreme Court of the United States threw out the 23rd District in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry on the grounds that it violated the rights of Latino voters. The 23rd is the largest district in the nation, stretching across 800 road miles from El Paso to San Antonio. Due to its size, nearly every district in the El Paso-San Antonio corridor had to be redrawn. Smith regained most of the Hill Country, but kept a large portion of his share of Austin, including the area around the University of Texas.In November 2006 the Texas Legislative Council found that nearly two-thirds of voters in District 21 cast ballots for statewide Republican candidates in 2004. In the November 2006 open election, Smith faced six candidates. He defeated Democrats John Courage and Gene Kelly 60–24–9%. This was Smith's lowest winning percentage of his career.
2008
He only faced one candidate, Libertarian nominee James Arthur Strohm, and defeated him with 80% of the vote.2010
He faced two candidates, Democratic nominee Lainey Melnick and Libertarian nominee James Arthur Strohm, and won with 69% of the vote.2012
Smith faced five challengers in the 2012 general election on November 6, 2012: Candace Duval, John-Henry Liberty, Fidel Castillo, Bill Stout, and Carlos Pena. He won the race with 63% of the vote.2014
Smith won re-nomination to fifteenth House term in the Republican primary held on March 4, 2014. He received 40,262 votes. His runner-up was Matt McCall of San Antonio, with 22,596 votes. Michael J. Smith polled the remaining 3,772 votes.2016
Smith won re-nomination to a sixteenth term in the House in the Republican primary held on March 1. He received 69,872 votes. Running against him once more was Matt McCall, who drew 33,597 votes. McCall polled 11,000 more votes than he did in 2014, but his percent went down because of higher turnout. Two other candidates held the remaining 11 percent of the ballots cast.Smith faced the Democrat Tom Wakely of San Antonio in the November 8 general election. Smith won with 57.0%; Tom Wakely got 36.5%; Mark Loewe got 4.1%; and Antonio Diaz got 2.4%. It was easily the closest race of Smith's career, and the closest since the GOP began its current run in the district; Loeffler won his first term in 1978 with 57 percent of the vote.