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Robert C. Smith ’65, who represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, is running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida. The Republican made a formal announcement Monday, having filed with the state and the Federal Election Commission April 13, according to The New York Times.
Other Republicans seeking the seat are Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio, a Florida House speaker. Sen. Mel Martinez, a Republican, is not running for re-election after serving one term.
Smith served in the House from 1985 until resigning in December 1990 upon his appointment to fulfill an unexpired term in the Senate. He also had won election for the seat that year and was re-elected in 1996. He served as chair of the Select Committee on Ethics as well as the Committee on Environment and Public Works. He made a brief run for president in 1999, first as a Republican and then as an independent before returning to the GOP. In a race that drew national interest, he lost his bid for a third Senate term to Rep. John E. Sununu in the Republican primary.
According to the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, Smith served two years of active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1965-67 with one year in Vietnam, along with five years in the Naval Reserve. He has taught history, civics, and English, and owned and managed a real estate business.
In 1992, Lafayette honored the government and law graduate with the George Washington Kidd 1836 Award for career distinction. He is the father of Jennifer Smith ’96.