Bob Smith (New Hampshire politician)

Smith with President Ronald Reagan

Smith ran for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in the 1982 elections. With the recession and President Reagan's unpopularity aiding Democratic candidates, Smith lost to incumbent Norman D'Amours by 55% to 45%. D'Amours did not seek re-election in 1984, unsuccessfully running for the U.S. Senate instead and Smith was elected in his place, riding Reagan's coattails to beat Democrat Dudley Dudley by 59% to 40%. A member of NH's Executive Council, her campaign slogan was "Dudley Dudley, Worth Repeating". Smith responded "Dudley Dudley, Liberal Liberal".[2] Smith was re-elected in 1986 and 1988 by wide margins, first beating Democrat James M. Demers 56% to 44%, then beating Democrat Joseph F. Keefe by 60% to 40%.

Smith greeting Pope John Paul II in 2001

Smith did not run for re-election in 1990, instead running for the U.S. Senate seat that was being vacated by retiring Republican Gordon J. Humphrey, who was retiring after pledging not to serve more than two terms. His opponent was Democrat John A. Durkin, who had previously served in the Senate from 1975 to 1980. Smith beat him in a landslide, taking 65% of the vote to Durkin's 31%. Humphrey resigned in December after being elected to the New Hampshire Senate and Smith was appointed to replace him for the final two months of his term.

The Vietnam War POW/MIA issue, concerning the fate of possible missing or captured Americans in Vietnam, became Smith's major issue in Congress in 1985, partly spurred on by his growing up without knowing how his own father died in World War II. Smith helped create, and served as vice-chairman of, the 1991–1993 Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. Smith ran for re-election in 1996 and only narrowly defeated Democratic former U.S. Representative Richard Swett, taking 49% of the vote to Swett's 46%. Smith had established himself as the most conservative Senator from the Northeast, and Bill Clinton's coattails nearly caused his defeat. On the night of the election many American media networks incorrectly projected that Swett had won.[3]

During his tenure in the Senate, Smith was a strident opponent of gay rights. In 1994, Smith and fellow Republican senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina introduced an amendment denying federal funding to schools which promoted homosexuality in their curricula.[4] The amendment passed by a vote of 63–36.[5] In October 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated openly gay diplomat James Hormel to be United States Ambassador to Luxembourg, the first time an openly LGBT person had been nominated for an ambassadorship. Smith, with fellow Republican Senators James Inhofe and Tim Hutchinson, campaigned vigorously against Hormel's nomination.[6] Along with Helms, he was also one of three Senators to vote against the confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in the same term.[7]

Smith, second from right, watches as President George W. Bush signs a bill in 2002.

In February 1999, at Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro, Smith announced that he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States (at the time the front-runner was Texas Governor George W. Bush).[8] In July, after failing to gain any ground in the presidential race and before any primaries or caucuses had taken place, Smith announced he was leaving the Republican Party and would seek the nomination of the Taxpayers' Party. One month later, Smith left the Taxpayers Party after claiming that ideologues within the party resisted his candidacy due to his Roman Catholicism and announced as an Independent. He withdrew completely from the race in October and endorsed Bush.

Logo from Smith's 2000 Presidential campaign

In the meantime, Republican Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island had died and thus the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works had re-opened. Smith recanted his repudiation of the Republican party, claiming it had been "a mistake" and claiming that since he had never officially changed his voting registration that he had never left the party. Smith was then elected as Chafee's successor to the chairmanship.[9]

Some New Hampshire voters were uncomfortable with Smith's passionate way of expressing his views on certain issues. In one case, he used a pair of scissors to stab a plastic doll on the Senate floor to illustrate his anti-abortion stance.[10]

In 2000, Smith attempted to assist the Miami-based family of Elián González after Elián was returned to his father's custody by accompanying them to the entrance of Andrews Air Force Base, where Elián was being held; they were turned away.[11]

Smith ran for re-election to a third term in 2002, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Congressman John E. Sununu, winning 45% of the vote to Sununu's 53%.[12] After his defeat, The New York Times reported that many Republicans were "relieved" that he had lost, having never forgiven him for leaving the party in 1999.[13] He subsequently moved to Sarasota, Florida to sell real estate.