Loretta Smith

Loretta Smith (born 1966) is an American politician and businesswoman who served as a Multnomah County commissioner from 2011 to 2018. She ran unsuccessful campaigns for Portland City Council in 2018 and 2020. Smith was a candidate for Oregon's 6th congressional district in the 2022 election, a new seat created after the 2020 United States census.

Early life and education

Smith was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1966.

Career

Soon after graduating college, Smith got a job as a staffer for then-U.S. Representative Ron Wyden. She remained on his staff for 21 years, eventually becoming his field representative.

Smith began her own political career by running for Multnomah County commissioner in 2010. She came in second place in the initial election, and advanced to the runoff, which she won by 26 percentage points. During her first term, Smith focused on investments in programs helping poor youth. She served on the Portland Metro Workforce Development Board, which aims to curb the unemployment rate especially among people of color. Smith won reelection in 2014 with little opposition.

During her second term, Willamette Week reported that Smith disproportionately spent her office budget on travel and nonprofit contributions. In 2016, the state of Oregon mistakenly claimed she owed $36,000 in taxes and fees, but in 2017 admitted it had made an error. In 2017, Smith was accused by two former staffers of "unprofessional and harassing conduct" and creating a hostile work environment. She was also accused of using county funds for personal expenses such as grocery shopping. Some Smith supporters questioned the unsubstantiated accusations and claimed she was treated harshly because she was a black woman, describing it as "a political lynching".

Due to term limits, Smith was not able to run again for County Commission and ran for Portland City Council in 2018.

In 2020, Smith ran in a special election for City Council to succeed Nick Fish, who had died in office. She earned the support of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, several labor organizations, including Northwest Oregon Labor Council - AFL-CIO, Portland Fire Fighters Association, and SEIU Local 49, as well as NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon and Basic Rights Oregon. Smith came in first place in a crowded field, but lost narrowly to local schools foundation CEO Dan Ryan in the August runoff.

In 2019, Smith started her own small business, a communications consultancy called Dream Big Communications specializing in building coalitions, bringing people together, and improving communities.

On June 22, 2021, Smith announced her candidacy for Oregon's 6th congressional district, when the district's boundaries had yet to be drawn. She finished in 4th place out of a total of 9 candidates in the Democratic primary.

Personal life

Smith has one son, Jordan, born in 1990, whom she raised as a single mother.

Electoral history