Sean Smith (Missouri)

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Sean Smith

Republican Party

Jackson County Legislature District 6

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Theresa Galvin

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

High school

Don Antonio Lugo High School

Bachelor's

California State University, Long Beach, 1991

Personal

Birthplace

Pomona, Calif.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign YouTube

Campaign TikTok

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Sean Smith (Republican Party) is a member of the Jackson County Legislature in Missouri, representing District 6. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.

Smith (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Missouri's 5th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Sean Smith was born in Pomona, California. He earned a high school diploma from Don Antonio Lugo High School and a bachelor's degree from the California State University, Long Beach in 1991. Smith's career experience includes working as a consultant and entrepreneur.

Elections

2024

See also: Missouri's 5th Congressional District election, 2024

Missouri's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

Missouri's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Missouri District 5

Incumbent Emanuel Cleaver defeated Sean Smith, Bill Wayne, and Michael Day in the general election for U.S. House Missouri District 5 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emanuel Cleaver (D)	60.2	199,900
		Sean Smith (R)	36.4	120,957
		Bill Wayne (L)	2.0	6,658
		Michael Day (G)	1.3	4,414

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 331,929
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John Bowman (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 5

Incumbent Emanuel Cleaver advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Missouri District 5 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emanuel Cleaver	100.0	65,248

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,248
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 5

Sean Smith advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Missouri District 5 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Smith	100.0	32,574

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,574
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 5

Bill Wayne advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Missouri District 5 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Wayne	100.0	340

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 340
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Smith in this election.

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Jackson County, Missouri (2022)

General election

General election for Jackson County Legislature District 6

Sean Smith defeated Amanda Toomey in the general election for Jackson County Legislature District 6 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Smith (R)	53.3	25,658
	Submit photo	Amanda Toomey (D)	46.6	22,419
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	57

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 48,134
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Jackson County Legislature District 6

Amanda Toomey advanced from the Democratic primary for Jackson County Legislature District 6 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Amanda Toomey	100.0	8,932

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,932
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Jackson County Legislature District 6

Sean Smith defeated Trish Carlyle, Phyllis Edson, and Roberta Gough in the Republican primary for Jackson County Legislature District 6 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Smith	45.8	5,081
	Submit photo	Trish Carlyle	36.6	4,066
	Submit photo	Phyllis Edson	12.3	1,367
	Submit photo	Roberta Gough	5.3	592

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 11,106
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Missouri House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Missouri House of Representatives District 35

Incumbent Keri Ingle defeated Sean Smith in the general election for Missouri House of Representatives District 35 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keri Ingle (D)	54.5	11,620
		Sean Smith (R)	45.5	9,701

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,321
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35

Incumbent Keri Ingle advanced from the Democratic primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keri Ingle	100.0	4,275

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,275
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35

Sean Smith advanced from the Republican primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Smith	100.0	2,607

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,607
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Missouri House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Missouri House of Representatives District 35

Keri Ingle defeated Tom Lovell in the general election for Missouri House of Representatives District 35 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keri Ingle (D)	53.2	9,111
	Submit photo	Tom Lovell (R)	46.8	8,024

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,135
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35

Keri Ingle advanced from the Democratic primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keri Ingle	100.0	3,944

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,944
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35

Tom Lovell defeated Sean Smith in the Republican primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 35 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tom Lovell	51.0	1,848
		Sean Smith	49.0	1,773

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,621
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released June 9, 2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Sean Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

New to politics after a successful career in software. Currently Jackson County Legislator working to FIX our flawed property tax system.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• SUCCESS for every household. This includes fighting inflation, lowering gas and utility costs and ensuring the dream of home ownership is within reach for anyone with a modest income.
• SAFETY - Taking a play from Bill Clinton’s playbook, we need to add 200,000 cops to our streets in the US. Recent events have damaged the honorable career of being a police officer. A NATIONAL response is required to add new officers who are committed to keeping our communities safe. Locally raising police wages is a good start but will only result in officers moving between jurisdictions for higher wages. A national program to recruit, train and equip more officers is needed.
• SECURITY - Safety in our neighborhoods can only be achieved if we have a good NATIONAL security policy. Our open border is allowing drugs, terrorists and criminals to arrive in the United States. The cartels are at the heart of the drug issues in our nation and the border must be secured. This will require more resources to close the border to illegal immigration AND to properly vet legal immigrants who are vital for our economy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Home Affordability (1) Property Taxes and their impact on home affordability. And home affordability in general. As a Legislator I have fought for thousands of homeowners who are improperly taxed on their homes. This causes massive hardship for families and those on fixed incomes. (2) We also have an affordability problem that is exacerbated by excess investment in single family homes by foreign investors and large hedge funds. This must be curtailed by federal policy.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

John Maxwell - not political but a leadership expert who taught me decades ago about servant leadership and fostering your replacement to become better than you without ego interfering in that principle.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity is critical. I have served with integrity by actively avoiding any conflict of interest or personal benefit from serving. In my time as a Legislator I see how the institutions seek to draw elected officials into their sphere of influence. Any special privilege for elected officials that exceeds what is done for the common citizen should be avoided. Being indebted can cause an elected official to become vulnerable to undue influence.

A Servant Leader - my goal is to serve those who I represent. Placing their interest above my own. I have sacrificed personal wealth, future income, time with family and lifestyle flexibility as an elected official. These sacrifices have been rewarded by the deep appreciation for constituents who I’ve helped. I feel live serving is a bit of an “addiction” for me and I love it.

Rational Independent Policy Positions - My first allegiance is to the nation, not a party or any special influences. This means LISTENING to hear the perspective of constituents, LEARNING about policy options and DECIDING not based upon “party unity” or being “helped” by a special interest.

I am proud that I have worked toward policies based upon my own INDEPENDENT judgement and that I am not afraid to admit when I need to learn more before making a decision.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To place the well-being of our nation and our citizens first in decision making. Utilizing the office, not for personal gain, as has become so common, and instead to focus on what you can do for constituents EVERY DAY.

Tireless work to help others is critical and I have demonstrated that this is who I am. This I chides openly communicating with constituents via many different channels. I provide my cell phone number to thousands of people to be as available as possible. I answer email and social media questions frequently throughout the day and night 7 days a week with just a few breaks for family time.

When someone is reaching out to their elected official, it’s likely they have exhausted other remedies. Those folks needing help can’t wait and should t have to. If Quick Trip can serve you 24x7, so should your government.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was deeply impacted by the Space Shuttle disaster. When a public school teacher was added to the crew it was a big event for our student body. We were watching live as the shuttle exploded. I was honored to be called upon to provide comfort for many of my fellow students.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I began working full-time as a High School student when I was 16. This was in a music and video rental retailer. Around that same time I also accepted part-time employment with a portable sound company. I kept that retail job and advanced into a management role during my final two years of high school and my years in college. In total I stayed at the retailer for 8 years and I still occasionally do portable sounds stage setup work, 4” years later.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The United States House of Representatives is the best “Legislative melting pot” in the world. Diversity of thought is the key attribute of the institution. Being able to disagree and be civil is a hallmark of my public service and I believe the US House needs more civility. Even those who look to pick fights with the other side are part of the diversity that is special about the house.

We also have such a large body (435 Representatives) in the house that it affords a unique chance to have folks with diverse expertise. We need fewer career politicians and more experts from diverse backgrounds to have the house flourish and be effective.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Some experience is helpful but spending a lifetime as an elected official severely hampers credibility and understanding of the everyday American experience.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Our greatest challenge is the divisive nature of our politics. This is heightened by our divergent media & news sources including social media. I encourage everyone to seek out sources of information that have a view opposite your own. By seeking to UNDERSTAND those who disagree with us, I believe we can heal our nation divided and demonstrate strength in Unity and Rational Discourse in the future.

The “national divide” has huge impacts on our fiscal health, our individual mental health and our national security.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes. Two years allows the citizenry to hold representatives accountable quickly. What we also need is term limits and voters willing to help their representatives accountable by replacing them when they fail to meet expectations. If your representative hasn’t helped your community substantially and RECENTLY the. Tell them you’ve had ENOUGH and vote them out.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I would like to see congressional term limits and I am happy to sign a term limiting pledge. Too often federal officials lose touch with their constituents back home and implement policies that benefit themselves and their donor-class connections. It’s time we force our elected officials to live with the policies they propagate for the general public.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Not a Representative but Mayor Richard Berkeley of Kansas City did a great job at helping the community flourish while working across party lines to ensure progress

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I’ve heard so many… Perhaps one of the most impactful that I never expected was a property tax appeal that I helped with. It was an elderly couple who required assistance. They were prevented from having a meeting online and were told a personal appearance was required. The wife was facing a surgery for a very dangerous form of cancer and could not be near large groups of people due to fear of being exposed to illness that could delay her surgery date.

The stress of the cancer and facing a massive tax increase was not a good combination.

I was able to meet them outside at their home, get their information and represent them at their meeting with a fair outcome that should’ve been obvious and should have been handled before it reached a critical, possibly life threatening point.

The callousness of the administrative process was unbelievable to me and I am convinced that we need to take steps to ensure our civil servants don’t dehumanize our citizens when they need help.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. Compromise is critical but must be based in rational, thoughtful outcomes. Clear communication and transparency are critical to ensure mutually acceptable outcomes.

As a County Legiskator, I have served in a “super-minority” but have found many items of agreement. I tend to focus on solveable problems instead of partisan bickering on items that will remain intractable until society moves toward a common understanding.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I am a strong advocate for reducing individual tax burdens. I believe this can be achieved by increasing more revenue from foreign entities who do business in the United States. I also think that Federal Income Tax on Cash Tips should be eliminated. The intrusive and pervasive nature of taxing cash transactions is inherently flawed by estimates and other nonsense that harms the work class.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The US House should ensure that all portions of the Federal Government are accountable to the PEOPLE. The House is the People's House and should serve to ensure our institutions are accountable to the People if the United States.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None accepted, none sought. My independence from group think is critical to representing a diverse district.

What committees interest you?

Technology - as a 25+ year technology expert, I think we lack this expertise at the federal level. Tech is a huge component of our economy and our national security. It has been dramatically neglected due to a lack of expertise in Congress

Small Business- small businesses in America are critical for our growth and well being. Fostering entrepreneurs is a huge part of my overall focus and federal policy needs significant revision and simplification to encourage small business growth.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The government should be 98% transparent. The only exception should be VERY NARROWLY focused issues of national security or specific privacy needs. With the technology now available to us, citizens should be able to see exactly where their tax dollars are going. Exactly who is benefiting and who is making decisions.

Our federal government is so large it is almost unmanageable. But one way to improve the ‘manageability’ of this behemoth is to crowdsource reviewing financial decisions to the public. Given the opportunity there are numerous folks who want to help reduce excess spending. Let’s allow them to help.

As a current Legislator, I’ve seen first hand how our administration has attempted to avoid providing access to information. The ONLY REASON such restrictions on information is guarded is to hide malfeasance.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Smith’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Safety We all know that America has become less safe. With violent crime on the rise nationwide, we need the federal government to step-in and protect Americans from criminal behavior. Far-left prosecutors have stopped holding violent criminals accountable, and the hands of many police departments have been tied by the ‘Defund The Police’ movement. Congress must act to protect the safety of every American. In defense of public safety, Sean Smith pledges to: Support Law Enforcement with the tools they need to succeed Pressure local prosecutors to bring charges against violent criminals Crackdown on street riots and political violence Support our second amendment right to self-defense Increase funding for the FBI’s Violent Gang Task Forces Security Our nation must be protected from all threats, both foreign and domestic. We must secure our borders and stop the tide of illegal immigrants being trafficked into this country. American manufacturing must be reinvigorated to support domestic production. As of now, we are more reliant than ever on foreign nations. We can no longer allow the Chinese to manufacture our medications and we can no longer allow Russia and Iran to supply our oil. Our reliance on adversarial nations has become a national security threat. ​ To ensure American security, Sean Smith pledges to: Reduce reliance on imports of critical items from Microchips to Medications Promote American energy independence Protect our borders from illegal immigration and drug trafficking End the ‘catch-and-release’ policy for illegal aliens Fully fund the military to protect against threats from Russia, China, and Iran Success The American economy is built for every family to succeed, but government policy is holding us back from our potential. For decades the federal government has used a ‘tax-and-spend’ approach that robs taxpayers of their hard-earned income to fund failed programs run by special interest groups. The federal government must eliminate wasteful spending and cut taxes so that small businesses can grow and prosper. By cutting this wasteful spending we will be fighting back against the rampant inflation that has already stretched American families thin. ​ To support our economic success, Sean Smith pledges to: Control inflation by stopping wasteful spending Improve Home Affordability by reducing taxes and accelerating construction Improve access to skilled trade jobs Cut government red-tape on small businesses Support American manufacturing	”
—Sean Smith’s campaign website (2024)

2022

Sean Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Proud Christian Conservative - business minded - compassionate. Limit government and keep problem solving at the simplest, most local level

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Property TAXES must be controlled or eliminated
• Government must serve not rule
• Criminal Justice must be effective

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Criminal Justice - holding criminals accountable & making neighborhoods safe

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Sean Smith did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Sean Smith campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Missouri District 5	Lost general	$167,517	$165,522
2018	Missouri House of Representatives District 35	Lost primary	$37,070	N/A**
Grand total			$204,588	$165,522
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Theresa Galvin	Jackson County Legislature District 6 2023-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

Missouri's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Josh Hawley (R)

Eric Schmitt (R)

Representatives

District 1

Wesley Bell (D)

District 2

Ann Wagner (R)

District 3

Bob Onder (R)

District 4

Mark Alford (R)

District 5

Emanuel Cleaver (D)

District 6

Sam Graves (R)

District 7

Eric Burlison (R)

District 8

Jason Smith (R)

Republican Party (8)

Democratic Party (2)