William C. Smith Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Smith
Member of the Maryland Senate from the 20th district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 21, 2016
Appointed by	Larry Hogan
Preceded by	Jamie Raskin
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 20th district
In office January 14, 2015 – December 21, 2016 Serving with Sheila E. Hixson, David Moon
Preceded by	Tom Hucker Heather Mizeur
Succeeded by	Jheanelle Wilkins
Personal details
Born	William Colonel Smith Jr. (1982-02-06) February 6, 1982 (age 43) Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Camille Fesche
Children	2
Education	College of William and Mary (BA, JD) Johns Hopkins University (MA) National Intelligence University (MS)
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	2011–present
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Unit	United States Navy Reserve
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan

William Colonel Smith Jr. (born February 6, 1982) is an American politician. He serves in the Maryland Senate, representing District 20 since 2016. Before that, he was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2016.

Early Life and Education

William Smith was born on February 6, 1982. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. He went to the Barrie School and finished in 2000.

He was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the College of William and Mary in 2004.

Later, he got a Master of Arts degree in government from Johns Hopkins University in 2006. He then went back to the College of William and Mary and earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) in 2009.

In 2016, his Navy Reserve unit chose him for a special training program. He studied at the National Intelligence University. In 2019, he earned a Master's degree in Strategic Intelligence from there.

Career Highlights

Smith has worked in different roles to help his community. From 2004 to 2008, he led the Montgomery County Community Development Block Grant Board. This group helps with local development projects.

He then chaired the county Victim Services Advisory Board until 2012. From 2011 to 2013, he worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was a director for their Homeland Security Advisory Council.

During this time, he also helped the Montgomery County NAACP. This group works for civil rights.

In 2005, Smith started a non-profit group called Youth Achieve Inc. It helps young people grow and develop. As of 2023, he is still on the board of several organizations. These include Gandhi Brigade and Impact Silver Spring.

He has also worked as an attorney. He was with the Federal Practice Group from 2014 to 2016. Since 2018, he has worked for the Solomon Law Firm.

Serving in the Maryland House of Delegates

In 2014, Smith decided to run for the Maryland House of Delegates. He wanted to take the place of two state delegates who were running for other offices.

He teamed up with other candidates for the Democratic primary election. This group included state senator Jamie Raskin and state delegate Sheila E. Hixson. Their team won the primary election in June 2014. They then won the general election in November 2014.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch swears Smith into the Maryland House of Delegates, 2015

Smith officially became a member of the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015. He served on the House Judiciary Committee. This committee deals with laws about justice and families.

Moving to the Maryland Senate

In November 2016, State Senator Jamie Raskin left his position. He had been elected to the U.S. Congress. Smith applied to take his place in the Maryland Senate.

The local Democratic Party committee chose Smith for the role. Governor Larry Hogan officially appointed him on December 13, 2016.

Smith was sworn into the Maryland Senate on December 21, 2016. He was then elected to a full four-year term in 2018. He made history as the first Black person to represent Montgomery County in the Maryland Senate.

He has always served on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. In 2018, he became the vice chair of this committee. In 2019, he was chosen to lead the committee as its chair. In February 2022, Smith gave the Democratic response to the Governor's yearly speech.

In January 2020, Smith supported Pete Buttigieg for president. He tried to become a delegate for Buttigieg at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Political Views

People describe William Smith as a "progressive" politician. This means he often supports new ideas and social reforms. He represents a very progressive area in Maryland.

Education

Smith supports the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. This is a plan to improve schools in Maryland.

In 2017, he helped pass a law to stop schools from suspending or expelling very young children (prekindergarten). This bill became law.

Environment

In 2021, Smith showed concern about changes to the state's car emissions testing. He wrote to state officials about it. He also helped add an amendment to a bill to stop these changes.

Gun Policy

In 2021, Smith voted to require background checks for buying long guns. This means a check is done to make sure the buyer can legally own a gun.

In 2022, he spoke out against lifting restrictions on carrying guns openly in Maryland. In 2023, he helped pass a law to make gun storage safer. This law was signed by Governor Wes Moore.

Health Care

In 2019, Smith introduced a bill called the End-of-Life Option Act. This bill would have allowed very sick patients to choose special care (palliative care) at the end of their lives. The bill did not pass.

Housing

In 2020, Smith introduced the HOME Act. This law stops landlords from refusing to rent to people based on where their income comes from. This bill became law.

In 2021, he worked on a bill to stop landlords from evicting tenants without a good reason. He also supported a fund to help people with rent.

In 2023, after a gas explosion in Silver Spring, Smith questioned an appointment to a state commission. He wanted to know more about the person's role in the explosion investigation.

Policing

In 2020, after the death of George Floyd, Smith suggested new laws for police accountability. These laws aimed to make police more responsible for their actions.

These bills passed in 2021 but were vetoed by Governor Hogan. However, lawmakers voted to override the veto, making the bills law.

In 2022, Smith criticized Governor Hogan's "Refund the Police" idea. He said it was just a slogan and disagreed that police funding was being cut.

In 2023, Smith introduced a law to give the state's attorney general power over cases where police cause deaths. This bill passed and became law.

Social Issues

In 2019, Smith helped pass a law allowing people to choose "X" as their gender on driver's licenses.

In 2020, Smith introduced the CROWN Act. This law bans discrimination based on hairstyles. This bill passed and became law.

Transportation

Smith supports the Purple Line and Red Line train projects. He has expressed concern about delays in building the Purple Line. In 2020, he worked on a law to give tax credits to small businesses affected by the Purple Line's construction.

He does not support plans to make Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway wider. In 2019, he introduced a bill that would give counties the power to stop state transportation projects in their area.

Personal Life

Smith with his wife and daughter, 2021

William Smith is married to Camille Fesche. She works as a lobbyist for a law firm in Maryland. They have two daughters together.

Smith has received several awards and medals for his military service. These include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Electoral History