Ralph Smith
| Ralph Smith | ||
 | ||
| Virginia Senate District 19 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2008 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 11, 2016 | ||
| Years in position | 5 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $18,000/year | |
| Per diem | $178/day | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 8, 2011 | |
| First elected | 2007 | |
| Next election | November 3, 2015 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 07/19/1942 | |
| Place of birth | Roanoke, VA | |
| Profession | CEO | |
| Religion | Baptist | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Smith attended Nashville Auto Diesel College. He was the former mayor of Roanoke.
In addition to serving as senator Smith is CEO at Ralph Smith, Inc.
Committee assignments
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Smith served on the following committees:
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Smith served on the following committees:
District 22
Smith represented Virginia Senate District 22. Senate District 22 includes Botetourt County, Montgomery County(part), Radford, Roanoke, Roanoke County(part), Salem.
Elections
2011
- See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2011
On November 8, 2011, Smith won re-election to District 19 of the Virginia State Senate. Due to redistricting, Smith was moved from District 22 to District 19. He was unchallenged in the August 23 primary and ran unopposed in the November 8 general election.[1]
| Virginia State Senate, District 19 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Ralph Smith |
56.6% | 28,065 | |
| Independent | J. Brandon Bell, II Incumbent | 43.4% | 21,551 | |
| Total Votes | 49,616 | |||
2007
On Nov. 6, 2007, Smith won election to the 22nd District Seat in the Virginia State Senate, defeating opponent Michael Breiner (D).[2]
Smith raised $391,692 for his campaign while Breiner raised $754,174.[3]
| Virginia State Senate, District 22 (2007) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Ralph Smith (R)
|
21,193 | 50,75% | ||
| Michael Breiner (D) | 20,452 | 48.97% | ||
Campaign donors
2011
In 2011, Smith received $127,148 in campaign donations. The top contributors are listed below.[4]
| Virginia State Senate 2011 election - Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Top contributors to Ralph Smith's campaign in 2011 | |
| Virginia Senate Republican Caucus | $17,364 |
| Virginia Association Of Realtors | $5,000 |
| Smith, James R | $5,000 |
| Brock Jr, T R | $2,500 |
| Brock Jr, T R | $2,500 |
| Total Raised in 2011 | $127,148 |
| Total Votes received in 2011 | 28,065 |
| Cost of each vote received | $4.53 |
2007
Below are Smith's top 5 campaign contributors in the 2007 election:
| Contributor | 2007 total |
|---|---|
| Ralph K. Smith | $130,000 |
| Virginia Senate Republican Leadership Trust | $27,484 |
| Building a Better Virginia | $25,000 |
| Newman for Senate | $12,000 |
| Ralph Smith Mayor Committee | $11,885 |
Issues
Campaign themes
2011
Smith's website lists the following issues:
- Freedom
- Excerpt: "I believe in the core principles of Ronald Reagan: limited government, low taxes and the God-given gift of liberty."
- Taxation
- Excerpt: "I believe the problem is not that we are taxed too little, but that government spends too much. Over the past 10 years, our state budget has doubled."
- The People
- Excerpt: "I believe in the people of Southwest Virginia, not in the power brokers of Northern Virginia or anywhere else."
- Economic Prosperity
- Excerpt: "I believe small businesses are the engine of Virginia’s economy. I ran my own business for 40 years, and as Roanoke’s mayor I led the fight for lower taxes, low-cost air service, regional cooperation and decreased regulation."
- Right to Bear Arms
- Excerpt: "I believe that our Founding Fathers truly meant what they said in the Second Amendment. Government should not pass laws that abridge the citizens’ right to bear arms."
- Faith
- Excerpt: "I believe in God, the sanctity of human life, and the necessity of the Golden Rule."
- Education
- Excerpt: "I believe education is the key to the future of our Commonwealth. However, when it comes to the education of children, I trust parents more than I trust “experts” from the educational establishment."
- Immigration
- Excerpt: "I believe that immigration has made America great. Illegal immigration, on the other hand, is killing us."
- Property Rights
- Excerpt: "I believe that we can be free only to the extent that we can own private property and keep the government from seizing that property."
- Conservative Leadership
- Excerpt: "I believe actions speak louder than words. I am a conservative out of conviction, not convenience, and I believe in voting on principle, not on expediency."
Personal
Smith was born in Roanoke, Virginia on July 19, 1942.
External links
- Sen. Smith's website
- Biography from the Virginia Legislature
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions:2007
References
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill Stanley |
Virginia Senate District 19 2012-present |
Succeeded by NA |
| Preceded by J. Bell |
Virginia Senate District 22 2008-2012 |
Succeeded by Thomas Garrett |
| |||||||||||||||||
