Adrian Smith (politician)

Smith was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and at a young age moved with his family to a rural neighborhood south of Gering, Nebraska. After graduating from Gering High School in 1989, he attended Liberty University. He transferred to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln midway through his second year of college, graduating in 1993.{{cite web | title = Biographical Directory of United States Congress | work = SMITH, Adrian |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=s001172 | access-date = August 1, 2007}} While a student at Nebraska, he interned in the Nebraska Governor's Office and, later, served as a legislative page in the Nebraska Legislature.{{Cite web |title=Our Campaigns - Candidate - Adrian Smith |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=20589 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}

Smith returned to Gering after college, and in 1994 began serving as a member of the Gering City Council. He has also worked in the private sector as a realtor and marketing specialist for the housing industry.

In 1998, Smith defeated incumbent State Legislator Joyce Hillman 55%–45%.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=691213|title=Our Campaigns - NE Legislature 48 Race - Nov 03, 1998|access-date=June 9, 2016}} In 2002, he was reelected to a second term unopposed.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=37162|title=Our Campaigns - NE Legislature 48 Race - Nov 05, 2002|access-date=June 9, 2016}} Since Nebraska voters passed Initiative Measure 415 in 2001, he was term-limited.{{cite web|title=National Conference of State Legislatures |work=Term Limits in Nebraska: A Timeline |url=http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/about/nebterm.htm |access-date=March 20, 2006 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20051129070206/http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/about/nebterm.htm |archive-date=November 29, 2005 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}

Smith sat on the Natural Resources and Building Maintenance committees and was vice chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications committee.{{cite web | title = Nebraska Unicameral Legislature | work = Sen. Adrian M. Smith |url=http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/senators/district48.htm | access-date = March 15, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219195502/http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/senators/district48.htm | archive-date = February 19, 2006 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }} He served as vice chair of the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chaired the Four State Legislative Conference in 2001.

Smith ran for the open seat in the 3rd district in the 2006 election. Three-term incumbent Tom Osborne gave up the seat to run for governor of Nebraska.

File:Adrian Smith, official 110th Congress photo portrait.jpg

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.

About a third of the funding for Smith's campaign came from members of the Club for Growth, a fiscally conservative group that supports tax cuts, limited government, school choice, and eliminating agricultural subsidies and the US Department of Agriculture.{{cite news | last = O'Hanlon | first = Kevin | title = Moul gives Fortenberry run in fundraising | publisher = Lincoln Journal Star | date = October 16, 2006 |url=http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/10/16/local/doc4533ab73adf39747239555.txt | access-date = November 2, 2006}}

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% or more of the vote. The 3rd is extremely difficult to campaign in and has few unifying influences. It covers nearly {{convert|65000|sqmi|km2}}, two time zones, and 68.5 of Nebraska's 93 counties (one of which, Cherry County, is larger in area than the entire state of Connecticut). Despite that, Kleeb raised more money than any other 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 initially expected, it received late national attention from the House campaign committees.{{cite news | last = Walton | first = Don | title = GOP eye on 3rd District House race | publisher = Lincoln Journal Star | date = October 27, 2006 |url=http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/10/27/local/doc4542996be466f643696597.txt | access-date = November 10, 2006}}{{cite news | last = Levinson | first = Nathan | title = Neb. Roundup: Bush Visit Points to GOP Vulnerability | work = The New York Times | date = November 3, 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/11/03/cq_1779.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1163170696-2DroFhNJip/i+w2pjk16LA | access-date = November 10, 2006}}

President George W. Bush made an appearance in the district two days before the election to campaign for Smith—a sign that the Republican party was concerned about its chances in what had long been presumed to be a very safe seat.{{cite news|last=Thompson |first=Jake |author2=Robynn Tysver |title=Bush rallies GOP faithful in Grand Island |publisher=Omaha World-Herald |date=November 5, 2006 |url=http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2274916 |access-date=November 10, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20050422175803/http%3A//www%2Eomaha%2Ecom/index%2Ephp?u_pg%3D1673 |archive-date= April 22, 2005 }}

In the end, Smith won by 10 percentage points, taking 55% of the vote to Kleeb's 45%.{{cite news|last=Hendee |first=David |author2=Paul Hammel |title=Another Smith going to Washington |publisher=Omaha World-Herald |date=November 9, 2006 |url=http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2277031 |access-date=November 10, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20050422175803/http%3A//www%2Eomaha%2Ecom/index%2Ephp?u_pg%3D1673 |archive-date= April 22, 2005 }} This was the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district in 16 years; in 1990, Republican Bill Barrett defeated fellow Unicameral member Sandra Scofield by only 4,400 votes. It was also only the third time a Democrat had come reasonably close to winning this district in its current configuration; besides Barrett's narrow win in 1990, Virginia D. Smith won her first term by 737 votes in 1974.

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 with 80% or more of the vote in his bid for a full term.

Smith won the primary with 87% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=441201|title=Our Campaigns - NE District 3 - R Primary Race - May 13, 2008|access-date=June 9, 2016}} He was reelected to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Jay Stoddard 77%–23%.[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=389426 Our Campaigns – NE – District 03 Race – November 4, 2008]

Smith won the primary with 88% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=631065|title=Our Campaigns - NE District 03- R Primary Race - May 11, 2010|access-date=June 9, 2016}} He was reelected to a third term, defeating Democratic nominee Rebekah Davis 70%–18%.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=496803|title=Our Campaigns - NE - District 03 Race - Nov 02, 2010|access-date=June 9, 2016}}

Smith won the Republican primary with 82% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=751589|title=Our Campaigns - NE District 3 - R Primary Race - May 15, 2012|access-date=June 9, 2016}} He was reelected to a fourth term, defeating Democratic nominee Mark Sullivan 74%–26%.{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=705013|title=Our Campaigns - NE - District 03 Race - Nov 06, 2012|access-date=June 9, 2016}}

Smith won the Republican primary with 68% of the vote. He was reelected to a fifth term, defeating Democratic nominee Mark Sullivan a second time, 75%–25%.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_elections,_2014|title=Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014|work=Ballotpedia |access-date=June 18, 2019}}

Smith was unopposed in the Republican primary and the general election.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2016|title=Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016|work=Ballotpedia |access-date=June 18, 2019}}

Smith was renominated with 66% of the vote. He was reelected to a seventh term, defeating Democratic nominee Paul Theobald 77%–23%.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2018|title=Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District election, 2018|work=Ballotpedia |access-date=June 18, 2019}}

Smith won the Republican primary over four other candidates with 83% of the vote, and won the general election with 79% of the vote over Democratic nominee Mark Elworth Jr., a marijuana legalization activist.{{cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=873303|title=NE District 03 - 2020|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=July 28, 2021}}

Smith won the Republican primary with 76% of the vote and was reelected over Democratic nominee David Else with 78% of the vote in the general election.{{cite book |last1=Evnen |first1=Robert B. |title=2022 General Canvass Book |date=8 November 2022 |publisher=Nebraska Secretary of State |url=https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/sos.nebraska.gov/files/doc/elections/2022/2022%20General%20Canvass%20Book.pdf |access-date=14 December 2022 |page=11}}

Smith won the Republican primary with 74% of the vote and was reelected over Democratic nominee Daniel Ebers with 80% of the vote in the general election.{{cite web |url=https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20General%20Canvass%20Book.pdf |title=The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers Official Report |website=Nebraska Secretary of State|access-date=2024-12-20}}

In December 2020, Smith was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated{{cite web|last1=Blood|first1=Michael R.|last2=Riccardi|first2=Nicholas|date=December 5, 2020|title=Biden officially secures enough electors to become president|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa|url-status=live|access-date=December 12, 2020|website=AP News|archive-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208201209/https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa}} incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.{{Cite news|last=Liptak|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Liptak|date=2020-12-11|title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|access-date=2020-12-12|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211234955/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Order in Pending Case|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf|date=2020-12-11|publisher=Supreme Court of the United States|access-date=December 11, 2020|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211234004/https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/read-house-republicans-texas-supreme-court/index.html|title=Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court|first=Daniella |last=Diaz|work=CNN|access-date=December 11, 2020|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212000435/https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/read-house-republicans-texas-supreme-court/index.html|url-status=live}}

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Smith and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."{{Cite news|last1=Smith|first1=David|date=2020-12-12|title=Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results|url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/11/supreme-court-rejects-trump-backed-texas-lawsuit-aiming-to-overturn-election-results|access-date=2020-12-13|work=The Guardian|language=en}}{{cite press release|url=https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/121120-3 |title=Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit |publisher=Speaker Nancy Pelosi |date=December 11, 2020 |access-date=December 13, 2020}} New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Smith and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit, arguing that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that."{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Jordan|date=2020-12-11|title=Democrat asks Pelosi to refuse to seat lawmakers supporting Trump's election challenges|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/529883-rep-pascrell-jr-asks-pelosi-to-refuse-to-seat-lawmakers-supporting-trumps|access-date=2020-12-12|website=The Hill|language=en|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212055323/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/529883-rep-pascrell-jr-asks-pelosi-to-refuse-to-seat-lawmakers-supporting-trumps|url-status=live}}

• Committee on Ways and Means
• Subcommittee on Trade
• Subcommittee on Social Security
• Subcommittee on Health

• [https://ruralcaucus-adriansmith.house.gov/ Congressional Rural Caucus (co-chair)]
• Tea Party Caucus
• Congressional Constitution Caucus{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|publisher=Congressional Constitution Caucus|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614044928/https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|archive-date=June 14, 2018|url-status=dead}}
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption{{Cite web|title=Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute|url=https://www.ccainstitute.org|language=en}}
• Congressional Western Caucus{{cite web|title= Caucus Memberships|author=|url=https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|format=|publisher=Congressional Western Caucus|date=|accessdate=11 April 2025}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{wikisource author}}

• [https://adriansmith.house.gov/ Congressman Adrian Smith] official U.S. House website
• [http://www.joinadrian.com/ Adrian Smith for Congress]
• {{C-SPAN|1022845}}
• {{Conglinks | congbio=S001172 | votesmart=21284 | fec=H6NE03115 | congress=adrian-smith/S001172 }}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|us-hs}}

{{US House succession box

|state = Nebraska

|district = 3

|before = Tom Osborne

|years = 2007–present}}

|-

{{s-prec|usa}}

{{s-bef|before=Jim Jordan}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States representatives by seniority|years=62nd}}

{{s-aft|after=Bob Latta}}

{{s-end}}

{{NE-FedRep}}

{{USHouseCurrent}}

{{NebraskaUSRepresentatives}}

{{USCongRep-start |congresses=110th–present United States Congress |state=Nebraska}}

{{USCongRep/NE/110}}

{{USCongRep/NE/111}}

{{USCongRep/NE/112}}

{{USCongRep/NE/113}}

{{USCongRep/NE/114}}

{{USCongRep/NE/115}}

{{USCongRep/NE/116}}

{{USCongRep/NE/117}}

{{USCongRep/NE/118}}

{{USCongRep/NE/119}}

{{USCongRep-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Adrian}}

Category:1970 births

Category:20th-century Nebraska politicians

Category:21st-century evangelicals

Category:21st-century members of the Nebraska Legislature

Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:Activists from Nebraska

Category:American evangelicals

Category:Living people

Category:Nebraska city council members

Category:People from Gering, Nebraska

Category:Politicians from Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska

Category:Republican Party Nebraska state senators

Category:Tea Party movement activists

Category:University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni