Jefferson Smith (Oregon politician)
Encyclopedia
Jefferson Smith is an Oregon Democratic politician and the founder of the Bus Project
. In 2008, he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives
representing District 47 in east Portland
. He is seeking election as Mayor of Portland in 2012.
district attorney
R. P. Joe Smith and family therapist Suzanne Peck. He was named for U.S. President Thomas Jefferson
. He is a great-great-great grandnephew of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism
. His parents split before his second birthday, and he moved with his mother to South Pasadena, California. He returned to Portland during his seventh-grade year, and later became class president at Grant High School. His mother died of breast cancer when Smith was a teenager.
Smith earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Oregon
, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi
fraternity. At his father's insistence, he took a year off during college, serving as a youth counselor in Lane County
and then running youth sports programs in Washington, D.C. Smith went on to earn a law degree
from Harvard Law School
, where he finished in the top five percent in his class.
Following law school, Smith took a job at the New York City law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
. His second day on the job, he was asked to take a case defending tobacco companies. He declined, and returned to Oregon. He took a job with Stoel Rives
, but became motivated to establish an organization dedicated to engaging young people with progressive
politics, reportedly often working until midnight. He soon left the law firm, founding the Bus Project
in 2001.
who was running for the United States Senate
.
In April 2011, Smith released the results of a video he compiled of Oregon state representatives reciting the lyrics
of Rick Astley's 1980s pop hit "Never Gonna Give You Up
".
In September 2011, he announced he would run for Mayor of Portland in 2012.
. His stepmother, Meredith Wood Smith, is chair of the Oregon Democratic Party.
Bus Project
The Bus Project is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization that engages young people in progressive politics and catalyzes action around progressive issues within the U.S. state of Oregon. The Oregon Bus Project’s mission is to drive Oregon to be a progressive model for the nation...
. In 2008, he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
representing District 47 in east Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He is seeking election as Mayor of Portland in 2012.
Early life and career
Smith was born in Portland in 1973 to attorney and former Umatilla CountyUmatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
R. P. Joe Smith and family therapist Suzanne Peck. He was named for U.S. President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
. He is a great-great-great grandnephew of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
. His parents split before his second birthday, and he moved with his mother to South Pasadena, California. He returned to Portland during his seventh-grade year, and later became class president at Grant High School. His mother died of breast cancer when Smith was a teenager.
Smith earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
fraternity. At his father's insistence, he took a year off during college, serving as a youth counselor in Lane County
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
and then running youth sports programs in Washington, D.C. Smith went on to earn a law degree
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, where he finished in the top five percent in his class.
Following law school, Smith took a job at the New York City law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is a prominent law firm located in New York City. Herbert Wachtell, Martin Lipton, Leonard Rosen, and George Katz founded the firm in 1965. All four were graduates of New York University School of Law...
. His second day on the job, he was asked to take a case defending tobacco companies. He declined, and returned to Oregon. He took a job with Stoel Rives
Stoel Rives
Stoel Rives LLP is a U.S. business law firm with 11 office locations in seven U.S. states. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon in the Standard Insurance Center, it is the 134th largest law firm in the United States, making it the largest law firm in the state of Oregon, and one of the largest in the...
, but became motivated to establish an organization dedicated to engaging young people with progressive
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
politics, reportedly often working until midnight. He soon left the law firm, founding the Bus Project
Bus Project
The Bus Project is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization that engages young people in progressive politics and catalyzes action around progressive issues within the U.S. state of Oregon. The Oregon Bus Project’s mission is to drive Oregon to be a progressive model for the nation...
in 2001.
Political career
In 2008, Smith was elected with no opposition to the Oregon House of Representatives representing House District 47. The seat was vacated by Jeff MerkleyJeff Merkley
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...
who was running for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
In April 2011, Smith released the results of a video he compiled of Oregon state representatives reciting the lyrics
Rickrolling
Rickrolling is an Internet meme involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up". The meme is a bait and switch; a person provides a hyperlink seemingly relevant to the topic at hand, but actually leads to Astley's video...
of Rick Astley's 1980s pop hit "Never Gonna Give You Up
Never Gonna Give You Up
A group of London dance producers, called The Rickrollerz made a house music cover version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on that day, and in honor of that event....
".
In September 2011, he announced he would run for Mayor of Portland in 2012.
Personal
Smith is married to Katy Lesowski, also a Portland native and a co-founder of the Bus ProjectBus Project
The Bus Project is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization that engages young people in progressive politics and catalyzes action around progressive issues within the U.S. state of Oregon. The Oregon Bus Project’s mission is to drive Oregon to be a progressive model for the nation...
. His stepmother, Meredith Wood Smith, is chair of the Oregon Democratic Party.
See also
- Joseph Fielding SmithJoseph Fielding Smith (presiding patriarch)Joseph Fielding Smith was presiding patriarch and a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1942 until 1946....
, Smith's grandfather