Denny Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons of the same name, see Dennis Smith.
Denny Smith
Denny Smith
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by Al Ullman
Succeeded by Robert F. Smith
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 5th district
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1991
Preceded by None
Succeeded by Michael J. Kopetski
Born January 19, 1938 (1938-01-19) (age 70)
Ontario, Oregon
Political party Republican
Spouse Deanna Smith
Profession Newspaper publisher

Dennis Alan "Denny" Smith (b. January 19, 1938) in Ontario, Oregon, is an American businessman and former United States congressman.

A fighter pilot in the Vietnam war, Smith, a Republican, was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1980 to represent Oregon's 2nd congressional district. When the 1980 census gave Oregon another congressional district, Smith was elected as the first representative from Oregon's 5th congressional district in 1982.

Smith served in the House from 1981 to 1991, and sat on the Budget Committee, the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, and the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

He ran for reelection to the House in 1990, but was upset by Democrat Mike Kopetski. Kopetski, who lost to Smith by a mere 707 votes in the 1988 election, attacked Smith for his ties to several collapsed savings and loans.[1]

While still serving in Congress, Smith established and headed Oregonians Against Crime, which placed Oregon's 1988 Anti-crime Bill on the ballot by initiative petition and successfully campaigned for its passage.

In 1994, Smith was the Republican nominee for Oregon governor, losing to Democrat John Kitzhaber.

Smith is now the chairman of Eagle Newspapers, a printing and publishing company in the Pacific Northwest.

The son of former Oregon Governor Elmo Smith, and his wife, Dorothy, he is a cousin of Steven Symms, a former congressman and Senator from Idaho.

[edit] References

Eagle Newspapers (December 18, 2006). "Dennis A. (Denny) Smith". Press release.
  1. ^ Rasky, Susan F. "Four Issues and How They Played at the Polls Before Uncertain Voters", New York Times, November 8, 1990, pp. B10. Retrieved on 2008-03-29. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Al Ullman		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 2nd congressional district
1981–1983		 Succeeded by
Robert F. Smith (no relation)
New district Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 5th congressional district
1983–1991		 Succeeded by
Michael J. Kopetski