Loretta Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loretta Smith
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| Member of Portland City Council from District 1 | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 Serving with Candace Avalos and Jamie Dunphy
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| Preceded by | office established |
| Multnomah County Commissioner | |
| In office January 2011 – January 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Jeff Cogen |
| Succeeded by | Susheela Jayapal |
| Constituency | 2nd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1966 (age 59–60) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Oregon State University (BA) |
Loretta Smith (born in 1966) is an American politician and businesswoman. She is a member of the Portland City Council for District 1. Before this, she served as a Multnomah County commissioner from 2011 to 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Loretta Smith was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1966. She later attended Oregon State University. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
Political Career
After college, Smith worked for 21 years for U.S. Representative Ron Wyden. She started as a staffer and later became his field representative. This job helped her learn a lot about how government works.
Serving Multnomah County
Smith started her own political journey in 2010. She ran for a position called Multnomah County commissioner. She won this election and began her term in January 2011.
As a commissioner, Smith focused on helping young people who were struggling. She supported programs that aimed to reduce unemployment, especially for people of color. She was re-elected in 2014. She served two terms, ending in January 2019.
During her time as commissioner, there were some discussions about how she used her office budget. Also, in 2016, the state of Oregon made a mistake. They thought she owed a lot of money in taxes. But in 2017, they realized it was an error.
Running for Portland City Council
Because of term limits, Smith could not run for County Commissioner again in 2018. So, she decided to run for the Portland City Council. She ran again for City Council in 2020 in a special election. She received support from many groups and people, including U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. She won the first round of voting but lost in the final election.
Congressional Campaign
In 2021, Loretta Smith announced she would run for Oregon's 6th congressional district. This was a new area created after the 2020 census. She ran in the Democratic primary election in 2022. She finished in fourth place among nine candidates.
Business Ventures
In 2019, Smith started her own business. It is called Dream Big Communications. This company helps groups work together and improve communities. It focuses on building strong connections between people.
Personal Life
Loretta Smith has one son named Jordan. He was born in 1990. She raised him as a single mother.
Images for kids
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Loretta Smith
