George Murrell Smith Jr. (born May 15, 1968) is an American politician and the 61st Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Since 2001, he has represented the 67th district of South Carolina for Sumter and Sumter County.[1]
Murrell Smith | |
|---|---|
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| 61st Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office May 12, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Jay Lucas |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 67th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Mac McLeod |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Murrell Smith Jr. May 15, 1968 Florence, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Macaulay White (m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Wofford College (BA) University of South Carolina (JD) |
| Occupation |
|
Political career
editGeorge Smith was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 67th District in 2001, and has held this seat since. He is a member of the Republican Party.[2] In his time as a representative, he has mostly run in uncontested races, barring Libertarian Party challenger, Brandon Humphries, whom he overwhelmingly defeated.[3]
On December 5, 2018, Smith was appointed as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee by Speaker of the House Jay Lucas.[4] Smith previously served as chairman of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee and has sat on the House Ways and Means Committee since 2009.
In April 2022, he was elected unanimously by the House to succeed Jay Lucas as Speaker of the House of Representatives. He assumed office on May 12, 2022.[5]
Since Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Smith has been vocal in his support for restricting access to abortion in the state of South Carolina. After the South Carolina Supreme Court voted 3-2 to nullify a 6-week abortion ban, Smith criticized the court as creating “a constitutional right to an abortion where none exists.”[6]
Electoral History
edit2008 SC House of Representatives
editIn 2008, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.
2010 SC House of Representatives
editIn 2010, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.
2012 SC House of Representatives
editSmith ran unopposed in the Republican primary in 2012.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 11,696 | 99.1 | |
| Other | Write-Ins | 106 | 0.9 | |
| Total votes | 11,802 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2014 SC House of Representatives
editIn 2014, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.
2016 SC House of Representatives
editIn 2016, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.
2018 SC House of Representatives
editSmith ran uncontested in the Republican primary in 2018.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 8,640 | 82.2 | |
| Libertarian | Brandon Humphries | 1,811 | 17.2 | |
| Total votes | 10,515 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2020 SC House of Representatives
editThe Republican primary was cancelled in 2020.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 13,834 | 97.3 | |
| Other | Write-ins | 390 | 2.7 | |
| Total votes | 14,224 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2022 SC House of Representatives
editThe Republican primary was cancelled in 2022.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 9,705 | 98.4 | |
| Other | Write-in | 155 | 1.6 | |
| Total votes | 9,860 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Personal life
editBorn in Florence, South Carolina, Smith spent the majority of his childhood in Sumter, South Carolina, where he attended Wilson Hall School. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at Wofford College, where he completed his B.A. in Forms of Government in 1990.[7] After earning his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1993, Smith began practicing law in his hometown of Sumter: first as a public defender and later as partner at Lee, Erter, Wilson, Holler & Smith, LLC.[4] He and his wife, Macaulay, have two children: Mary Brown "Bee" Smith and George Murrell Smith III.[2]
References
edit- ^ "South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ a b "Murrel Smith". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ "Sumter's Smith handily beats first opponent since being elected to House". The Sumter Item. 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ a b "South Carolina House elects new speaker". WBTW. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ Greene, Mary. "SC House unanimously elects next Speaker". WISTV. WISTV. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban". PBS NewsHour. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ "Rep. Murrell Smith elected as new SC House speaker". WCBD News 2. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
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