Tom Smith (Pennsylvania politician)

Life, education, and early career

Smith was born on October 20, 1947. He grew up in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania and graduated from Elderton High School in 1965. At 19, he decided to postpone college to run the family farm when his father was ill. He also took over the family's school bus company. The Smiths had three biological children, and later adopted four more children from Texas.

Coal mining business career

Smith started work in a coal mine shortly after leaving school. In 1989, he purchased and ran a coal mine, after raising the money by mortgaging his existing property. He ran the business for 20 years before selling it in 2010. Smith said that his company was "mining more than a million tons of a coal" per year and employed over 100 people.

Plumcreek local politics

Smith was involved in local politics as a Democrat, serving on the Plumcreek Township Board of Supervisors and became President of the Board. In 1975, the Plumcreek board voted to increase the real estate tax rate from 6 to 8 mills. In 1977, the board created an income tax, and he voted for the “Local Tax enabling Act.” In 1978, he voted for the creation of a 1% real estate transfer tax.

He was a Democratic committeeman as late as 2010 and was a member of the party for four decades. "It's true I was a Democrat but I was conservative, so I really wasn't a Democrat," Smith says, noting that he then chaired a local chapter in the Tea Party movement.

2012 U.S. Senate election

Smith entered the Republican race for United States Senate, and in April 2012 won the five-way primary race with 43% of the vote. He faced incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. in the general election in November. Casey was first elected in 2006, defeating then-incumbent U.S. Senator Rick Santorum by 18 points, 59%–41%.

Following controversial comments about rape by Republican Representative Todd Akin, Smith was asked August 27, 2012 by the Pennsylvania Press Club, with regard to his no-exceptions anti-abortion stance, how he would tell a daughter or granddaughter who had been raped that she had to keep the pregnancy. Smith stated that he had been in a similar situation because his relative had become pregnant out of wedlock. Smith attempted to walk back his statement, saying that he was not equating the two situations, but that "a father's position" was similar.

Smith lost in the general election to Casey.

Political positions

On September 7, 2012, Smith released the full text of his five-point economic plan entitled, Restoring the American Dream. The major points of his plan focused upon reducing federal spending and easing domestic energy production. Smith has continued to run television ads promoting his policy plan.

Smith believed that life begins at conception, stating, "My stance is on record and its very simplistic: I'm pro-life, period", and he believed abortion should be banned with no exceptions, including in circumstances of rape and incest.

Personal life

After graduation, he married his high school sweetheart. They lived in Armstrong County for several years with seven children. His net worth was estimated between $60 to $70 million. Smith died at his home in Shelocta in 2015.