This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Kevin Smith | |
---|---|
Member of the New HampshireHouseofRepresentatives from the 29th Rockingham district | |
In office December 4, 1996 –December 2, 1998 | |
Preceded by | Multi-member district |
Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
Personal details | |
Born | Winchester,Massachusetts, U.S. | July 28,1977
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Suzy Fawcett |
Children | 3 |
Education | University of New Hampshire,Manchester (BA) |
Website | Campaign website |
Kevin H. Smith (born on July 28,1977) is an American politician who was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2022 United States Senate election in New Hampshire. Smith is a former state representative [1] and previously served as the town manager of Londonderry,New Hampshire. [2] Smith previously ran the conservative advocacy organization Cornerstone, [2] and served on the staffs of United States Senator Bob Smith,and former New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson. Smith also served as the Deputy Director for New Hampshire’s Division for Juvenile Justice. [1]
Smith served as a state representative from Londonderry,NH to the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1996–98, [3] where he served on the Judiciary and Family Law Committee. [4]
In 1997 he spoke for the members of the Committee opposed to SB 34,an act repealing statutes that required prison terms and fines for physicians who performed abortions and repealing a statute that mandated a charge of murder against physicians whose patients died in the course of an abortion procedure. [5] He stated that passage of the bill and consequent repeal of those laws might cause New Hampshire to "become the abortion mecca of the country" and referred to it as an "extreme measure". [4] The bill passed the legislature and was signed into law by then-governor Jeanne Shaheen,decriminalizing those activities for physicians. [5]
In 1997 he authored HB 768,a bill banning partial birth abortion which was defeated in the House. [4] [5] [6] [7] In that year he also voted in favor of Right-to-work legislation. [8] In 1998 he was awarded the Christian Coalition's "Pro-Family" House Member of the Year. [9] [10]
During his time of service in the legislature,Smith was the director of a before and after-school child care program and also worked as an elementary school para-professional,assisting students with special needs. [11]
He served on the official staffs for both former United States Senator Bob Smith (no relation [12] ) and New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson. [8] [11] Smith had also served as the New Hampshire campaign field director for Senator Smith's unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 1999. [6] [13] [14]
During his time as a U.S. Senate staffer,Smith was the outreach liaison to New Hampshire's law enforcement and public safety community,as well as a caseworker where he assisted New Hampshire's citizens on a variety of matters such as veteran's affairs,social security,and immigration. [11]
While serving on the Governor's staff,Smith was the Governor's liaison to the Executive Branch Department Heads as well as New Hampshire's Executive Council,where Smith assisted with appointments to Executive Branch Boards,Commissions,and Departments. [11] Smith also served on the Interagency Commission to End Homelessness during his time in the Governor's Office [11] although he has said that he considers it a tragedy when "government steps in the role of charitable organizations,of faith-based organizations,of community organizations that do such a great job of helping out people in the community. They've basically outsourced all of the roles that churches and charities used to do to the government and that's a real shame. We need to get back to looking at our community organizations as a first line of defense and not the government." [15]
In 2005,Smith joined the New Hampshire Division of Juvenile Justice Services where he became Assistant Director of the Department in 2007. During his tenure,Kevin oversaw the Finance and Quality Assurance departments and helped develop the Division's first "report card" which measured the results and efficacy of various programs within the Division. Kevin was also a member of the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police and worked closely with law enforcement and District Court judges on matters such as developing alternatives to juvenile detention and reducing the incidence of disproportionate minority contact in urban areas. Kevin also worked closely with the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to develop the state's first Office of Faith-based and Community Programs as a means to find local,community and private-sector solutions to meet the needs of New Hampshire's most vulnerable citizens when state resources were not available. [11]
In 2009,Smith became Executive Director of Cornerstone Action,a non-partisan,conservative advocacy organization dedicated to the advancement of free-enterprise,limited government,and personal responsibility policies in the state legislature. [16]
During the three years of his executive directorship the organization's membership increased from 2,000 to 8,000. [17] Under Smith,Cornerstone Action's revenue increased ten-fold to a high of $1.2 million in 2010 during his tenure. [18] Cornerstone grew into "a key player in State House debate on fiscal and social issues." [19]
For his efforts,Smith has been recognized by national and local media [20] as being one of the most influential conservatives in New Hampshire and in 2011,was named by Business NH Magazine as one of New Hampshire's "10 Most Powerful People." [21]
Smith resigned as an Executive Director of Cornerstone in October 2011 to run as a Republican candidate in the 2012 New Hampshire gubernatorial election. [22] He lost in the primary,receiving approximately 30% of the vote to Ovide Lamontagne's 68%. [23]
After a year-long search,Smith was appointed Town Manager of Londonderry NH in August 2013. [24] The Town Manager position is responsible for the proper administration of all departments of town government,except the Library Division. In this capacity,Smith was responsible for proposing and executing the town's budget. Smith was particularly focused on growing the Londonderry economic base,expanding the town's infrastructure for an industrially zoned area yielded particularly strong results.
Under Smith's tenure as town manager of Londonderry,one of the State's larger communities,Smith brought in more than $250 million in new commercial and industrial value as the town's head of Economic Development. The town’s overall value increased by $2.2 billion as the town became the fastest growing community for economic development in New Hampshire. Londonderry also saw a decrease in the municipal tax rate to a 40-year low and $11 million in budget surpluses have been returned to taxpayers. [25] Smith oversaw the construction of a new $5.5 million Central Fire Station. [25] In 2022,Smith resigned as town manager prior to announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the 2022 New Hampshire U.S. Senate election. [26] [27]
Smith was born in Winchester,Massachusetts, [11] to Bruce and Denise Smith. [4] He moved to New Hampshire when his family moved to Londonderry in 1986. A graduate of Londonderry High School and the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, [28] Smith was appointed to the New Hampshire Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights in 2009 [29] and continues to serve on the committee. He is currently the president of Smith Enterprises,a government and public relations consulting group. [11]
Smith currently resides in Londonderry with his wife,Suzy Fawcett Smith,and their three children. [11] [30]
Smith has made The Pledge to veto any state sales or income taxes. [30] [31]
Smith has stated that he believes that the public school system is still based upon a 1950s model and needs to be reformed and that the government should issue educational vouchers that would provide tax revenue to private schools,enabling parents to more affordably send their children to private schools. However he says that speaking as a product of public schools himself and because most children are educated within the public school system,we can't give up on that system. He has also spoken in favor of grade retention,saying "we shouldn't move kids up the chain until they reach their grade level." [8] [32]
In the context of the ongoing school funding issues of New Hampshire,Smith says that he agrees with current Governor John Lynch that there should be a constitutional amendment allowing the state to target aid to the neediest communities but believes that it is a notable failure of leadership that the Governor has not delivered this solution as he promised in his 2004 campaign. [32]
Although not always in favor of it,Smith said that he has "evolved" and is currently endorses the death penalty for some crimes. [8]
Smith has said that there is a problem with corruption in the New Hampshire Department of Health &Human Services and when asked how it should be addressed he said,"You need to have competent people to do the job." [8]
New Hampshire law requires a license to carry a loaded firearm in both open or concealed fashion while in a motor vehicle but no license is needed to openly carry a loaded weapon while on foot. [33] Regarding the carrying of firearms in public,Smith said in early 2012 that he is "on the fence,but leaning toward keeping the law the way it is." [8]
In addition to Smith's activity regarding abortion while serving in the legislature,he has said that "People don't want public funding for abortion clinics. It's an issue that cuts across party lines." [8]
Smith has stated that the most important transportation issue currently is the expansion and widening of Interstate 93. Regarding establishment of commuter rail service to connect Southern New Hampshire with the Boston-area rail system he says that studies he has read indicate that expected ridership levels would be insufficient to support profitability and that hence along with the other expenses involved he does not believe that New Hampshire can afford such an endeavor at the present time,however this is not an absolute position and he would be willing to listen to the arguments of rail advocates. [34]
Molly Kelly is an American politician in New Hampshire. A member of the Democratic Party,she served in the New Hampshire Senate,representing the 10th District from 2006 until 2016. She was the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Hampshire in the 2018 election.
The 2010 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 2,2010,alongside other midterm elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as to the United States House of Representatives. A primary election was held on September 14. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Judd Gregg decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican nominee Kelly Ayotte won the open seat by over 23 points.
William Harrison "Bill" Binnie is an American industrialist,investment banker,and philanthropist,who is currently president of the Carlisle Capital Corporation,president of the media company New Hampshire 1 Network and owner of Carlisle One Media. He is the former Chairman of the Finance Committee for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee,and a former candidate for the Republican nomination for the U. S. Senate in 2010. He served as chairman of Carlisle Plastics,Inc. until that firm was sold to Tyco International in September 1996.
Cornerstone Policy Research and its legislative action arm Cornerstone Action are a conservative think tank headquartered and primarily active in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The organization describes itself as "dedicated to the preservation of strong families,limited government and free markets". It is a Family Policy Council,the state affiliate of Focus on the Family for New Hampshire.
The 2012 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 6,2012,concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election,U.S. House elections,and various state and local elections.
Ovide Marc Lamontagne is an American businessman who serves as a shareholder at Bernstein Shur law firm in Manchester,New Hampshire. Lamontagne is a lawyer and a Republican former political candidate who was his party's nominee for Governor of New Hampshire in 1996 and 2012. He also unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the US Senate in 2010.
The 2014 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 4,2014,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of New Hampshire,concurrently with the election of the governor of New Hampshire,as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2016 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held November 8,2016,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Hampshire,concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primary election to select the candidates who appeared on the general election ballot took place on September 13,2016.
The 2014 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on November 4,2014,to elect the governor of New Hampshire,concurrently with the election to New Hampshire's Class II U.S. Senate seat,as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Christopher Thomas Sununu is an American politician and engineer who has served as the 82nd governor of New Hampshire since 2017. A member of the Republican Party,Sununu was a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 to 2017.
Charles W. Morse,known as Chuck Morse,is an American politician who served as president of the New Hampshire Senate and was once acting governor of New Hampshire. Morse has represented New Hampshire's 22nd State Senate district since 2010,having previously held the same office from 2002-2006.
The 2016 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 8,2016,to elect the governor of New Hampshire,concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election,as well as elections to the United States Senate,elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Dan Feltes is an American lawyer,a member of the Democratic Party,and represented the 15th district of the New Hampshire Senate from 2014 until 2020.
The 2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 3,2020,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Hampshire,concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the United States Senate,elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen won reelection to a third term after comfortably defeating Republican nominee Bryant Messner by 15.6 points and sweeping every single county in the state. This marked the first Senate election since 1972 in which the Democrat carried Belknap County.
The 2018 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 6,2018,to elect the governor of New Hampshire. Incumbent Republican Governor Chris Sununu won re-election to a second term,defeating former state senator Molly Kelly. Sununu was the first incumbent Republican to win reelection as governor since Steve Merrill was reelected in 1994.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire were held on November 6,2018,to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of New Hampshire,one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire was held on November 3,2020,to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of New Hampshire,one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.
The 2022 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 8,2022,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Hampshire. The primary elections were held on September 13,2022.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire were held on November 8,2022,to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of New Hampshire,one from each of the state's two congressional districts.
The 2022 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on November 8,2022,to elect the governor of New Hampshire. As New Hampshire does not have gubernatorial term limits,incumbent Republican Governor Chris Sununu won re-election to a fourth 2-year term in office against Democratic nominee Tom Sherman with 57 percent of the vote,a reduced margin from his 65 percent landslide win in 2020. Sununu had 'expressed interest' in running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 against incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan. However,on November 9,2021,he announced that he would instead run for a fourth term as governor. Sununu became the first Republican to win a fourth term as governor,and also tying John Lynch's modern record of four terms overall.
New Hampshire Field Director: Kevin Smith, (no relation) A former state representative from Londonderry. Authored the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill in 1997.
Skip, look, I'm a huge believer in the power of the community, of the private sector, of neighbors helping neighbors. I think it's a tragedy when government steps in the role of charitable organizations, of faith-based organizations, of community organizations that do such a great job of helping out people in the community. They've basically outsourced all of the roles that churches and charities used to do to the government and that's a real shame. We need to get back to looking at our community organizations as a first line of defense and not the government.