Bob Smith (New Hampshire politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Smith
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| United States Senator from New Hampshire |
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| In office December 7, 1990 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Gordon J. Humphrey |
| Succeeded by | John E. Sununu |
| Chair of the Senate Environment Committee | |
| In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
| Succeeded by | Jim Jeffords |
| In office November 2, 1999 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | John Chafee |
| Succeeded by | Harry Reid |
| Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee | |
| In office January 7, 1997 – November 2, 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Mitch McConnell |
| Succeeded by | Pat Roberts |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 1985 – December 7, 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Norman D'Amours |
| Succeeded by | Bill Zeliff |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Clinton Smith
March 30, 1941 Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 1999, 2000–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Constitution (1999) Independent (1999–2000) |
| Spouse |
Mary Jo Hutchinson
(m. 1966) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Lafayette College (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1965–1967 (Active) 1962–1965, 1967–1969 (Reserve) |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Robert Clinton Smith (born March 30, 1941), known as Bob Smith, is an American politician. He served in the United States House of Representatives for New Hampshire from 1985 to 1990. Later, he represented New Hampshire in the United States Senate from 1990 to 2003.
He was first elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1984. After being re-elected twice, he ran for the Senate in 1990. He won the open seat and started his term early when the previous senator, Gordon J. Humphrey, resigned. Smith was re-elected to the Senate in 1996.
In 1999, he tried to become president. He first sought the Republican nomination for the 2000 presidential election. When that didn't work out, he briefly joined the Taxpayers' Party. He then became an Independent before leaving the presidential race. After that, he rejoined the Republican Party.
Smith ran for re-election to the Senate in 2002 but lost. After his time in the Senate, he moved to Florida. He tried to run for the Senate there in 2004 and 2010 but stopped early in both races. He later returned to New Hampshire and ran for the Senate again in 2014 but was defeated in the primary election.
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Early Life and Education
Bob Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on March 30, 1941. His parents were Margaret and Donald Smith. He earned a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College in 1965. He also did more studies at California State University, Long Beach.
Smith served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1962 to 1965. He was an ensign. He was on active duty from 1965 to 1967, including one year in Vietnam. He stayed in the Navy Reserve until 1969. After his service, Smith moved to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. There, he taught history and English. He also served on his local school board. He owned a real estate business called Yankee Pedlar brokerage.
Political Career
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
In 1982, Smith ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. He lost to the person already holding the seat, Norman D'Amours.
In 1984, D'Amours did not run for re-election. Smith ran again and won this time. He beat Democrat Dudley Dudley. Smith was re-elected two more times, in 1986 and 1988. He won by large amounts each time.
Becoming a U.S. Senator
In 1990, Smith decided not to run for the House again. Instead, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat. The seat was open because Senator Gordon J. Humphrey was retiring. Smith won the election by a large margin against Democrat John A. Durkin.
Senator Humphrey resigned early in December 1990. This allowed Smith to start his Senate term 27 days earlier.
A major issue for Smith in Congress was the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. This issue was about American soldiers who might have been missing or captured during the Vietnam War. Smith helped create a special committee to look into this issue. He served as the vice-chairman of this committee from 1991 to 1993.
Smith ran for re-election in 1996. He won, but it was a close race. He narrowly defeated former U.S. Representative Richard Swett.
In February 1999, Smith announced he wanted to become President of the United States. He was seeking the Republican nomination. However, he didn't gain much support. In July, he announced he was leaving the Republican Party. He then tried to get the nomination from the Taxpayers' Party.
A month later, Smith left the Taxpayers Party. He then announced he would run as an Independent. In October, he completely withdrew from the presidential race. He then supported George W. Bush for president.
Around this time, a Republican senator named John Chafee passed away. This made the position of chairman for the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works open. Smith decided to rejoin the Republican Party. He said leaving the party was "a mistake." He then became the chairman of that committee.
In 2002, Smith ran for re-election to the Senate for a third term. However, he lost in the Republican primary election to Congressman John E. Sununu. After his defeat, he moved to Sarasota, Florida.
After the Senate
Later Political Attempts
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In 2004, Smith ran in the primary election for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida. He dropped out early because he didn't raise much money. He also had very little support in polls.
In 2009, Smith thought about running for the Senate in Florida again. He also considered returning to New Hampshire to run for the Senate seat there.
On April 9, 2009, it was reported that Smith would seek the Republican nomination for Florida's 2010 Senate election. He dropped out of this race in March 2010. This was after he did not do well in the polls.
In 2013, Smith showed interest in running against Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire. He officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in March 2014. However, he lost the primary election to former U.S. Senator Scott Brown.
Personal Life
Bob Smith is married to Mary Jo Hutchinson. They have three children named Jennifer, Robert, and Jason. He is a Roman Catholic.
See also
- List of American politicians who switched parties in office
- List of United States senators who switched parties
