The person behind the name
David Brock Smith’s public career runs from the Port Orford City Council and the Curry County Board of Commissioners through six years in the Oregon House to the Oregon Senate, where he is a deputy leader of the Republican caucus, and, since May 2026, to the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jeff Merkley. [2][1][5]
By his official biography he is a third-generation resident of the district who grew up in Port Orford. The campaign biography names his parents, Frank and Bonnie (Hodge) Smith, both raised in Port Orford, describes his father as a Navy lieutenant commander who bought the family restaurant after a 27-year naval career, and records that his grandfather, Lester T. Smith, built that restaurant, the Port & Starboard, in 1970 after retiring from logging. Neither biography states a birth date. [2][10]
Education and professional preparation
The official biography records that he graduated from Pacific High School and attended SOCC and SOU, in the biography’s abbreviations, then worked in the culinary industry in the Rogue Valley before returning to Port Orford to take over the family’s restaurant and lounge, by then 45 years old. Degrees, dates of attendance and business records were not part of this review. [2][10]
A public life that began in Port Orford
The official biography lists service as Port Orford’s city council president, as president and director of the chamber of commerce, on the Port Orford-Langlois School Board and as chair and vice chair of the Curry County Board of Commissioners, with board and committee roles at the Association of Oregon Counties; the years are not stated. He was sworn in as state representative for House District 1 in 2017 and served until January 2023, when commissioners from Coos, Curry and Douglas counties voted unanimously to appoint him to the Senate seat that Dallas Heard had resigned. [2][14]
In 2024 he held the seat in his own right: 56.80 percent of the Republican primary in the preliminary count against three challengers, then 53,783 votes to 21,905 for the Democrat, Lupe Preciado-McAlister, in the unofficial general-election count, which lists him as Republican, Independent. His Senate term runs to 2029, so the U.S. Senate campaign costs him no seat. [17][18][3]
He announced the Senate campaign on March 3, 2026. In the seven-candidate Republican primary of May 19, 2026 the Secretary of State’s unofficial count gave him 103,644 of 350,889 votes, 29.5 percent as computed from those totals, ahead of Jo Rae Perkins with 95,009 and Brent Barker with 81,715; the Associated Press called the race on Friday, May 22, and the Secretary of State certified the election on June 25, 2026. He faces Senator Merkley, who took 442,059 votes in the Democratic primary, on November 3, 2026. [4][6][5][7][8]
A note on the primary figures. The Secretary of State’s results site no longer serves the May 2026 pages, and the certified abstract of votes could not be retrieved for this review, so the primary figures above are the unofficial count as posted on May 24, 2026 and preserved by the Internet Archive. The certification release reports that more than 1.28 million ballots were counted in all, against 1,214,511 in the May 24 posting, so the certified totals are larger than those shown here and the shares may differ. [6][7]
Life & public service
From a family restaurant on the south coast to the Capitol in Salem and a statewide campaign, the documented milestones show how his record was built.
The Port & Starboard
His grandfather, Lester T. Smith, built the family restaurant in Port Orford after retiring from logging; his father bought it after a naval career, and he later took it over, per the campaign biography. [10]
Port Orford and Curry County
City council president, chamber of commerce president, school board member and chair and vice chair of the Curry County Board of Commissioners, per his official biography; the years are not stated. [2]
The Texas lawsuit letter
One of a dozen Republican legislators who asked the Attorney General to join Texas’s challenge to the presidential result; in January 2021 he said he had already accepted President-elect Biden. See the fuller record. [38]
Appointed to the Senate
Unanimously appointed on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 by commissioners from Coos, Curry and Douglas counties to the seat Dallas Heard had resigned. [14]
Accomplishments, in the record
The Oregon Legislature’s measure records, bill summaries and floor-vote tallies, read through the Legislature’s public data service and the Oregon Legislative Information System, establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level those records support, with shared credit where a bill carried several chief sponsors’ names.
Eight hundred chief sponsorships, ninety-five laws
Oregon bills list chief sponsors, who can be several, above regular sponsors. The Legislature’s records show Brock Smith among the chief sponsors of 809 measures from the 2017 session through the 2026 session: 43 in 2017, 100 in 2019, 140 in 2021, 222 in 2023 and 234 in 2025, with smaller numbers in the short sessions. On 545 of the 809 his name is printed first. [23][24]
Of those measures, 95 were signed into law in the seven regular sessions read for this review, and on 31 of them he was the first-listed chief sponsor: seven in 2017, four in 2019, six in 2021, eight in 2023 and six in 2025. The 2018, 2020 and 2022 short-session enactments were not read, so the count is a floor, and a first-listed name records sponsorship rather than sole authorship. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]
Bills for the fish, farm and forestry district
The first-listed laws from the coast begin in 2017 with HB 3149, which required a plan for the Oregon Coast Trail, and HB 2499, which let the seller of a fishing-vessel permit petition to keep fishing while a permit dispute was pending. In 2023 SB 814 declared the Legislature’s intent to let Oregon’s public ports coordinate rates, rules and operations under the state-action doctrine, and in 2025 SB 221 directed the Department of Fish and Wildlife to help establish fall Chinook incubation nurseries and SB 504 required the Land Conservation and Development Commission to adopt rules by January 1, 2028 on nonstructural, nature-based shoreline stabilization. [25][28][30]
Farm and land-use measures with his name first include HB 2844 of 2019, allowing farm-product processing facilities under 2,500 square feet on farmland without siting standards, HB 3365 on livestock districts, HB 2785 of 2021, which directed a grant program to upgrade or build establishments operating under state meat inspection, HB 2809, which allowed recreational vehicles to be sited for up to 24 months on properties that natural disasters had made uninhabitable, and SB 347 of 2025, which disqualifies land from farm-use assessment after a final penalty or conviction for illegal marijuana growing. [26][27][30]
Forest management and the wildfire workforce
SB 872 of 2023, Chapter 214, instructs the State Forestry Department to endeavor to partner with federal agencies on fire prevention in federal forests, and HB 2161 of the same session changed the calculation of the small forestland owner tax credit; both list him first. In 2025 SB 494 directed the Department of Administrative Services to study classification and compensation for forestry and wildland fire positions in state government, and SB 485 modified the estate-tax exemption for natural resource property as it applies to forestland. He was also among the chief sponsors of SB 498 of 2023, which allowed an exclusion from the taxable estate for the value of an interest in a farm, forestry or fishing business, and of SB 1520 of 2024, the tax subtraction for wildfire-litigation payments. [28][30][29]
HB 3375 and the offshore wind study
He was the first-listed chief sponsor of HB 3375, Chapter 376 of 2021. As enrolled, the law established a state planning goal and a policy position on offshore energy research and development in federal waters and, in the Legislative Information System’s summary, “Directs State Department of Energy to conduct literature review on benefits and challenges of integrating up to three gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy into Oregon's electric grid by 2030.” The bill passed the House unanimously; Brock Smith has said it let the state engage the public and slowed the federal push, while opponents in his 2024 primary cited it as support for wind turbines. [32][27][16][17]
Aye on HB 4002
On March 1, 2024 the Senate passed HB 4002, 21 to 8 with one member excused, and Brock Smith voted Aye. The enrolled bill, Chapter 70, “Increases penalties for unlawful possession of a controlled substance on September 1, 2024. Designates crime as a drug enforcement misdemeanor and specifies sentence.” It also created a deflection-grant program, a jail-based medication program and new treatment-access requirements. The bill was introduced at the request of a joint committee for Representative Kropf and Senator Lieber; his part is a recorded vote. In the same session he was a chief sponsor of SB 1553, which added drug use on public transit to the crime of interfering with public transportation, and of SB 1579, which established the Children’s Advocacy Center Fund. [33][34][29]
Present during the walkout
During the six-week Senate Republican walkout of 2023 he was one of three Republicans, with Dick Anderson and Fred Girod, who stayed under the ten unexcused absences that would have barred them from the next term; on May 18, 2023 he was one of two Republicans on the floor. The vote records show him Absent on June 15, 2023 for the final votes on HB 2002, the reproductive-health bill, and HB 2005, the undetectable-firearms bill, after voting Aye that morning on a motion to send HB 2002 back to the Rules Committee; nine days later he voted Nay on HB 3409, the session’s climate bill, whose title reads “Relating to climate”. [15][16][35][28]
Nay on the transportation package
In the special session of September 2025 the Senate passed HB 3991, whose digest reads, “The Act increases and adds taxes related to roads, cars, trucks and buses and says how revenue must be used.” Brock Smith voted Aye on a failed motion to amend the bill on the floor and Nay on passage on September 29, 2025; he also voted Nay on HB 3992. Republicans referred the gas-tax increase to the ballot, and voters rejected it on May 19, 2026. [36][37][5]
Deputy leader and committee vice chair
The Senate’s member page lists him as Deputy Leader, and the Portland Tribune’s February 2026 report names him as one of three Republican deputy leaders. For 2026 the page lists him as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, a member of the Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs, and a member of the Joint Ways and Means Committee and its Public Safety and Natural Resources subcommittees. His own account of earlier roles includes vice chair of the House Energy and Environment Committee, co-vice chair of the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction, co-convener of the Sudden Oak Task Force and co-chair of the Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus. [1][19]
Family & community
The campaign biography names his parents, Frank and Bonnie (Hodge) Smith, and his grandfather, Lester T. Smith, who built the family restaurant; it describes him as a third-generation resident of Southwest Oregon. Neither the official nor the campaign biography mentions a spouse or children, and this profile makes no claim about either. His official page gives Port Orford as his home. [10][2][1]
His official biography lists community roles beyond elected office: Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, OYSA coach in the biography’s abbreviation, director of America’s Wild Rivers Coast and chair of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council; in the Legislature he has co-chaired the Sportsman’s and Wine caucuses and belongs to the bipartisan Coastal Caucus. [2][1][3]
Neither his official biography nor his campaign biography states a religious affiliation, and this profile makes no claim about one. The sources reviewed here document family, residence and public roles; they do not supply a verified record of charitable board service beyond the roles listed above, and none is asserted. [2][10]
Mission & priorities
“Now, David is running for U.S. Senate to bring common sense, accountability, and a strong rural voice to the federal level, so that all the people of Oregon are heard, respected, and represented.” {10}
The following summarizes the agenda on Brock Smith’s campaign website and in his campaign’s statements. These are proposed priorities, not completed accomplishments. [11][9][4]
01Put Oregon first
The campaign’s first plank says Oregonians feel forgotten by leaders “only focused on their far-left base” and that “You deserve a voice in Washington that is actually advocating for solutions, not just trying to grab headlines and sound bites.” His launch statement put it as “Put Oregon First.” [11][4]
02Affordability and no new taxes
03Crime and public safety
“I support law enforcement, accountability for repeat offenders, and restoring consequences that keep our kids and communities safe.” The record shows his Aye on HB 4002 of 2024, which increased the penalties for unlawful drug possession and made the crime a drug enforcement misdemeanor, and the campaign lists the Oregon Chiefs of Police Association among its endorsers. [11][33][34][12]
04Homelessness and addiction
“We need drug and mental health treatment that works, and I have and will continue to fight for treatment and accountability, as well as an end to permanent street camping.” HB 4002, which he supported, paired the new possession penalties with deflection programs and treatment-access requirements. [11][34][33]
05Wildfire and forest management
“I have and will continue to lead the state to address the desperate need for active forest management, fuel reduction, and working with landowners to better protect homes and communities.” The record shows SB 872 of 2023 on fire prevention in federal forests and SB 494 of 2025 on the wildland fire workforce, both with his name listed first. [11][28][30]
06Elections: in-person voting
The campaign site carries no elections plank, but his SB 210 of 2025 would have made in-person voting the standard method, required valid government-issued identification and referred the change to voters at the next general election; at its hearing he said, “I think it’s time – which is why this is a referral – for Oregonians to either reaffirm or deny vote-by-mail in this state.” The bill did not leave the Senate Rules Committee. [21][22][20]
07Rural industries
The campaign biography says he “has dedicated his career to protecting and growing the industries that built rural America: fishing, farming, forestry, tourism, and small business”. The record shows the fall Chinook nursery law, the coastal-resources rulemaking and the farm-processing and meat-inspection measures described above. [10][30][26][27]
How to assess a proposal. A campaign plan states an intention. Enactment, implementation costs, replacement revenue, and measured results are separate questions. These priorities should be read alongside the legislative and voting history above.
The fuller record
A useful profile includes policy tradeoffs, the limits of a claim, and responses to material criticism.
The vote-by-mail referral
SB 210 of 2025, which he sponsored with Senator Thatcher as a regular sponsor, would have made in-person voting on election day the standard, required picture identification and kept mail ballots for military, overseas and out-of-state voters and for those unable to vote in person. Jefferson Public Radio reported that, by Brock Smith’s count, more than 9,000 people had submitted comments, the vast majority opposed, enough to overwhelm the Legislature’s website; he said much had changed since voters adopted vote by mail in 1998, that in-person voting would be more secure and that voters should get another say. Senator James Manning, a Democrat, said he had seen no problems with the state’s elections. The bill stayed in the Senate Rules Committee. Those who testified against it argued it would harm ballot access for rural voters and for people who cannot reach a ballot box on election day. The bill text and the hearing testimony are the record. [21][22][20]
The 2020 letter and January 2021
In December 2020 he was one of a dozen Republican legislators who asked Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to join Texas’s lawsuit challenging the presidential result in four battleground states; she declined, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the suit the same day the letter was issued. After the Capitol riot, Representative Julie Fahey, now the House Speaker, said the signers were complicit; his January 8, 2021 statement replied, “This was not a coup, and Rep. Fahey's statement that those of us that signed a letter for the Oregon attorney general to uphold fair elections are 'complicit in today's violence' is shamefully arrogant and wrong.” Asked by Willamette Week whether he recognized the result, he wrote: “Unlike many leaders across our state, who have been vocal over the last four years never accepting Trump as their president, I have already accepted President-elect Biden.” [38][3]
The 2024 primary and the “made in China” claims
In the 2024 Republican primary a political action committee supporting his opponent Todd Vaughn published graphics calling him “made in China”, attributed to him quotes about Chinese windmills and claimed his vote for a 2021 wildfire-mapping law had helped a Chinese billionaire become Oregon’s largest private landowner; the Capital Chronicle noted that the land purchase came in 2015, before he was elected. His attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter on April 1, 2024 citing the state’s false-statement law; he said, “In my 20 years of dedicated public service, I have never witnessed such blatantly false statements,” and the committee’s president repeated the claims. He won the primary with 56.80 percent in the preliminary count. No lawsuit appears in the sources reviewed. [16][17]
Walkouts, in 2023 and 2026
He did not join the 2023 walkout that barred ten senators from re-election, yet from the floor he commended the absent members: “Here we are as they spend their time working still selflessly and tirelessly defending the transparency of this body, to follow the constitution of this body and the state of Oregon,” and “And more importantly defending the parental rights of every Oregonian in this state.” On February 18, 2026, as a deputy leader, he was among the Republicans absent when the Senate could not muster a quorum ahead of a vote to move the transportation referendum; a caucus spokesperson wrote that Senate Republicans had “paused the process so there could be more meaningful discussions between the majority and the minority”, and he did not immediately respond to requests for comment. [15][19]
Climate, energy and a 2021 vote
At the January 11, 2023 meeting at which county commissioners appointed him to the Senate, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported, he assured the commissioners that he did not believe human actions contribute to climate change, and said he disapproved of tentative plans for offshore wind power while recognizing that a wind farm would be a federal project outside state legislators’ control; Jefferson Public Radio’s account of the same meeting described him as an outspoken critic of recent climate bills, and the Chronicle repeated the climate statement when it reported his Senate announcement in March 2026. Commissioners also asked about HB 3294 of 2021, which required every public education provider to supply tampons and sanitary pads to students at no cost and which the House had passed unanimously; he said Republicans had made a mistake in voting for it and that he had sponsored a measure for the 2023 session to remove the requirement. The records show the votes: Aye on HB 3294 on June 24, 2021; Nay on HB 3409, the 2023 climate bill; and earlier service in the minority on the 2020 Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction, which he lists as co-vice chair. The three 2023 measures on menstrual products in schools found in the Legislature’s records, SB 246, HB 2428 and HB 3472, list other legislators as their sponsors, and none left committee. His offshore-wind law of 2021 is described above. [41][14][3][27][42][35][1][43][44]
The general election
Oregon has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 2002, and Senator Merkley, first elected in 2008, took 442,059 votes in his own primary to Brock Smith’s 103,644 in the unofficial count. The campaign lists endorsements from Oregon Right to Life, the Taxpayers Association of Oregon, the Oregon Chiefs of Police Association, AG-PAC, Forests For Oregon and thirty state legislators, nine senators and twenty-one representatives, among them the Republican nominee for governor, Christine Drazan. Endorsements establish political support; they are not evaluations of the record above. Fundraising figures could not be read for this review. [5][6][12][13][39]
Questions & answers
Who is David Brock Smith?
David Brock Smith’s public career runs from the Port Orford City Council and the Curry County Board of Commissioners through six years in the Oregon House to the Oregon Senate, where he is a deputy leader of the Republican caucus, and, since May 2026, to the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jeff Merkley. [2][1][5] By his official biography he is a third-generation resident of the district who grew up in Port Orford. The campaign biography names his parents, Frank and Bonnie (Hodge) Smith, both raised in Port Orford, describes his father as a Navy lieutenant commander who bought the family restaurant after a 27-year naval career, and records that his grandfather, Lester T. Smith, built that restaurant, the Port & Starboard, in 1970 after retiring from logging. Neither biography states a birth date. [2][10]
What office is David Brock Smith running for in 2026?
Who is David Brock Smith running against?
David Brock Smith’s public career runs from the Port Orford City Council and the Curry County Board of Commissioners through six years in the Oregon House to the Oregon Senate, where he is a deputy leader of the Republican caucus, and, since May 2026, to the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jeff Merkley. [2][1][5]
What are David Brock Smith's stated priorities?
The following summarizes the agenda on Brock Smith’s campaign website and in his campaign’s statements. These are proposed priorities, not completed accomplishments. [11][9][4] The campaign lists: Put Oregon first; Affordability and no new taxes; Crime and public safety; Homelessness and addiction; Wildfire and forest management; Elections: in-person voting; Rural industries.
What does the public record show?
The Oregon Legislature’s measure records, bill summaries and floor-vote tallies, read through the Legislature’s public data service and the Oregon Legislative Information System, establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level those records support, with shared credit where a bill carried several chief sponsors’ names. Oregon bills list chief sponsors, who can be several, above regular sponsors. The Legislature’s records show Brock Smith among the chief sponsors of 809 measures from the 2017 session through the 2026 session: 43 in 2017, 100 in 2019, 140 in 2021, 222 in 2023 and 234 in 2025, with smaller numbers in the short sessions. On 545 of the 809 his name is printed first. [23][24]
How was this profile researched?
Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions, and stated priorities, not an exhaustive vote-by-vote record. The Legislature’s public data service was read for every measure listing him as a chief sponsor from 2017 through 2026 and for the enacted measures of the 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 regular sessions; the 2018, 2020 and 2022 short sessions were not read for enactments, his regular sponsorships were not counted, and floor votes other than the named ones were not tabulated. The primary and general-election figures are the Secretary of State’s unofficial counts as preserved by the Internet Archive, because the results site no longer serves those pages and the certified abstracts could not be retrieved. Ballotpedia, the Federal Election Commission’s data service (rate-limited on every attempt, including at the fact-check stage), OpenSecrets, the race-rating publishers and public polling were not reachable or not part of this review, so no candidate identifier, committee name, fundraising figures, ratings or polls are asserted. Birth date, degrees, the years of county service, license records and personal financial disclosures were not part of this review. An independent fact-check on September 18, 2026 re-read every cited document, recomputed the sponsorship and enactment counts from the cached records and added the Capital Chronicle’s January 2023 report of the appointment meeting, his 2021 vote on HB 3294 and the 2023 sponsor records on menstrual-products bills. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution. Historical sources do not imply current positions. The source list provides direct links so readers can check the underlying material. Filings and campaign pages may change after this review.
Sources & methodology
Government records anchor the profile: the Oregon Legislature’s measure, sponsor and vote records, the Legislative Information System’s bill summaries, the Secretary of State’s results pages and certification release, and the senator’s official pages. The campaign’s pages establish stated positions; reporting by the Oregon Capital Chronicle (read through OPB and Portland Tribune republications and one Internet Archive copy), Jefferson Public Radio, OPB, KTVZ, Willamette Week and the Associated Press supplies scrutiny and responses. Ballotpedia, the Federal Election Commission’s data service and the race-rating publishers could not be read by an automated request and are not cited.
- 01Senator David Brock Smith — official member pageOregon State Legislature · Accessed September 17, 2026
Republican, District 1, Port Orford, Deputy Leader; the 2026 committee assignments and the senator’s own list of earlier committee, task-force and caucus roles; Capitol contact details.Government record - 02Senator David Brock Smith — Biography (official member page)Oregon State Legislature · Accessed September 17, 2026
Official biography: third-generation resident, Port Orford upbringing, Pacific High School, SOCC and SOU, the family restaurant, city, chamber, school-board and county offices, and the 2017 swearing-in and January 2023 move to the Senate.Government record - 03Coastal Oregon conservative announces run for U.S. SenateOPB (Oregon Capital Chronicle) · March 4, 2026
The March 3, 2026 announcement; the appointment to Dallas Heard’s seat; the term ending in 2029; the Sportsmen’s and Coastal caucuses; the newspaper’s summary of his 2023 climate statement, the 2020 letter and the Supreme Court’s same-day rejection of the Texas suit, the 2025 mail-voting bill and the 2024 primary attacks.Independent reporting - 04Oregon State Senator David Brock Smith announces Senate campaignKTVZ · March 3, 2026
The launch statement in the candidate’s words, including “Put Oregon First”, and the campaign’s summary of his local offices.Independent reporting - 05David Brock Smith wins GOP primary for US Senate in Oregon, will face Democratic incumbent MerkleyKPTV (Associated Press) · May 24, 2026
The race called on Friday, May 22, 2026 from a seven-candidate field; his statement; Oregon’s last Republican senator elected in 2002; the gas-tax referendum’s defeat and the Drazan nomination.Independent reporting - 06Primary Election May 19, 2026 — Federal contests (Internet Archive copy captured May 24, 2026) (Internet Archive copy, captured Jun 6, 2026)Oregon Secretary of State (Internet Archive copy) · Captured May 24, 2026
Unofficial count as of May 24, 2026: Republican primary for U.S. Senator — Smith 103,644; Perkins 95,009; Barker 81,715; McAlmond 40,341; Brown 13,283; Burch 8,298; Skelton 5,354; write-in 3,245; total 350,889. Democratic primary — Merkley 442,059; Wells 29,237. Ballots counted 1,214,511.Government record - 07Secretary Read Certifies May Election Results, Confirms Historic TurnoutOregon Secretary of State (newsroom) · June 25, 2026
Certification of the May 19, 2026 election on June 25, 2026; more than 1.28 million ballots; official turnout 41.87 percent.Government record - 08Upcoming Elections — General Election November 3, 2026Oregon Secretary of State · Accessed September 17, 2026
The general-election date, the October 13 registration deadline, ballots mailed from October 14 and certification by December 10, 2026; nominees chosen at the primary.Government record - 09Home — David Brock Smith for OregonDavid Brock Smith for Oregon (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Campaign home page: the statement of purpose, the contact address and the linked social-media accounts. Self-descriptions.Campaign or advocacy material - 10Meet David — David Brock Smith for OregonDavid Brock Smith for Oregon (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Campaign biography: parents, the Navy father, the grandfather who built the Port & Starboard in 1970, the Rogue Valley years and the list of local offices; the sentence quoted as his mission. Self-descriptions.Campaign or advocacy material - 11Issues — David Brock Smith for OregonDavid Brock Smith for Oregon (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
The five campaign planks quoted in this profile: Oregon first, affordability, crime, homelessness and wildfire. Proposals, not record.Campaign or advocacy material - 12Endorsements — David Brock Smith for OregonDavid Brock Smith for Oregon (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
The campaign’s list of endorsers: nine state senators, twenty-one state representatives, Oregon Right to Life, the Taxpayers Association of Oregon, the Oregon Chiefs of Police Association, AG-PAC and Forests For Oregon, as the campaign states them.Campaign or advocacy material - 13News — David Brock Smith for OregonDavid Brock Smith for Oregon (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Campaign releases on the launch, the endorsements by three gubernatorial candidates and the nomination, called three days after election day, in the campaign’s words.Campaign or advocacy material - 14David Brock Smith appointed to fill southwest Oregon state Senate seatOPB (Jefferson Public Radio) · January 13, 2023
Unanimous appointment on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 by commissioners from Coos, Curry and Douglas counties to the seat Dallas Heard resigned; his statement; his 2020 service on the Carbon Reduction Committee.Independent reporting - 15Oregon Republican walkout: 6 more senators are potentially ineligible for reelectionOPB · May 18, 2023
Ten senators past ten unexcused absences; Anderson, Brock Smith and Girod under the threshold; Brock Smith on the floor commending the absent members, quoted.Independent reporting - 16Oregon state senator threatens lawsuit against Republicans accusing him of ties to Chinese communistsOPB (Oregon Capital Chronicle) · April 2, 2024
The April 1, 2024 cease-and-desist letter, the “made in China” graphics, the 2015 land purchase, the 2021 offshore-wind law passing the House unanimously, his statement and the PAC president’s reply; the three Republicans who did not join the 2023 walkout.Independent reporting - 17David Brock Smith wins primary for Oregon’s Senate District 1Jefferson Public Radio · May 22, 2024
Preliminary result of 56.80 percent against three challengers; the Republican Unity Caucus claims and HB 3375; his account of what the law did.Independent reporting - 18General Election November 5, 2024 — State Senator contests (Internet Archive copy captured November 11, 2024) (Internet Archive copy, captured Dec 10, 2024)Oregon Secretary of State (Internet Archive copy) · Captured November 11, 2024
Unofficial count as of November 10, 2024, State Senator, 1st District: David Brock Smith (Republican, Independent) 53,783; Lupe Preciado-McAlister (Democrat) 21,905; write-in 252; total 75,940.Government record - 19Oregon Republicans walk out of Senate ahead of vote on transportation referendumPortland Tribune (Oregon Capital Chronicle) · February 18, 2026
No Republican senators present on February 18, 2026; the caucus statement; deputy leaders Hayden, Anderson and Brock Smith not responding; the 2025 transportation taxes and the referendum.Independent reporting - 20GOP senator’s bill to end vote-by-mail in Oregon faces public backlashJefferson Public Radio · April 1, 2025
Brock Smith’s statement that over 9,000 people submitted comments, the vast majority opposed; his hearing statement quoted; the bill’s identification and mail-ballot provisions; the 1998 vote-by-mail measure; Senator Manning’s response and the testimony against the bill.Independent reporting - 21SB 210, 2025 Regular Session — measure overviewOregon Legislative Information System · Accessed September 17, 2026
Bill title, digest and summary: in-person voting as the standard, picture identification, mail ballots retained for military and overseas electors, referral to the people; current location the Senate Committee on Rules.Government record - 22SB 210 (2025) — sponsor records (MeasureSponsors)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Chief sponsor “Sen Smith DB”, print order 1; regular sponsor Senator Thatcher.Government record - 23Measures listing Senator Brock Smith as a chief sponsor, 2023–2026 (MeasureSponsors, legislator code “Sen Smith DB”)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
392 chief sponsorships under the Senate code: 120 in 2023, 25 in 2024, 234 in 2025 and 13 in 2026, with print order showing which carry his name first.Government record - 24Measures listing Representative Brock Smith as a chief sponsor, 2017–2023 (MeasureSponsors, legislator code “Rep Smith DB”)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
418 chief sponsorships under the House code, including presession filings for 2023: 43 in 2017, 7 in 2018, 100 in 2019, 18 in 2020, 140 in 2021, 7 in 2022 and 103 in 2023. Combined with the Senate records and de-duplicated: 809 measures, 545 first-listed.Government record - 25Enacted measures, 2017 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
747 chaptered measures; twelve list him among chief sponsors and seven first, including HB 2377, HB 2499, HB 2500, HB 3147, HB 3149, HB 3432 and HB 3435, with their catchlines.Government record - 26Enacted measures, 2019 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
703 chaptered measures; twenty list him among chief sponsors and four first: HB 2375, HB 2377, HB 2844 and HB 3365.Government record - 27Enacted measures, 2021 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
680 chaptered measures; seventeen list him among chief sponsors and six first: HB 2654, HB 2697, HB 2777, HB 2785, HB 2809 and HB 3375 (Chapter 376).Government record - 28Enacted measures, 2023 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
614 chaptered measures; twenty-two list him among chief sponsors and eight first, including SB 814, SB 835, SB 872 (Chapter 214) and HB 2161; SB 498 among the shared ones. Catchlines of HB 2001, HB 2002, HB 2005 and HB 3409.Government record - 29Enacted measures, 2024 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
115 chaptered measures; five list him among chief sponsors, none first: SB 1520, SB 1545, SB 1553, SB 1579 and SB 1581. HB 4002 is Chapter 70.Government record - 30Enacted measures, 2025 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
634 chaptered measures; sixteen list him among chief sponsors and six first: SB 221, SB 347, SB 360, SB 485, SB 494 and SB 504, with their catchlines.Government record - 31Enacted measures, 2026 Regular Session (Measures with a chapter number)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
142 chaptered measures; three list him among chief sponsors, none first: HB 4075, HB 4097 and HB 4153.Government record - 32HB 3375, 2021 Regular Session — measure overview (enrolled)Oregon Legislative Information System · Accessed September 17, 2026
Enrolled summary: the planning goal, the state policy position on offshore energy research and the Department of Energy literature review, quoted; Chapter 376.Government record - 33HB 4002 (2024) — floor votes (MeasureVotes)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Senate third reading March 1, 2024: 21 Aye, 8 Nay, 1 excused; “Sen Smith DB” recorded Aye. House passage February 29, 2024, 51–7.Government record - 34HB 4002, 2024 Regular Session — measure overview (enrolled)Oregon Legislative Information System · Accessed September 17, 2026
Enrolled summary: increased penalties for unlawful possession from September 1, 2024 as a drug enforcement misdemeanor, deflection grants, treatment-access provisions; introduced for Representative Kropf and Senator Lieber; Chapter 70.Government record - 35Senator Brock Smith’s recorded votes on HB 2001, HB 2002, HB 2005 and HB 3409, 2023 Regular Session (MeasureVotes)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Aye on HB 2001 (March 21, 2023); Aye on the June 15, 2023 motion to re-refer HB 2002 to Rules and Absent on its third reading; Absent on HB 2005 (June 15, 2023); Nay on HB 3409 (June 24, 2023).Government record - 36Senator Brock Smith’s recorded votes, 2025 First Special Session (MeasureVotes)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
September 29, 2025: Aye on the failed motion to amend HB 3991 on the floor, Nay on its passage, Nay on HB 3992; Aye on HCR 51 on October 1, 2025.Government record - 37HB 3991, 2025 First Special Session — measure overview (enrolled)Oregon Legislative Information System · Accessed September 17, 2026
Title and digest of the transportation package: increased and new taxes and fees, a mandatory road-usage charge for electric and hybrid vehicles, ODOT audits; Chapter 1.Government record - 38We Asked Oregon Republican Lawmakers: Do They Acknowledge Biden Won?Willamette Week · January 13, 2021
The December 2020 letter from twelve Republican legislators; his January 8, 2021 statement answering Representative Fahey; his written reply that he had already accepted President-elect Biden.Independent reporting - 39Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate, OregonMerkley for Oregon (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
The incumbent’s campaign site, read for the opponent entry; self-descriptions.Campaign or advocacy material - 40Legislators, 2025 Regular Session, Senate (Legislators entity)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Legislator code “Sen Smith DB”: David Brock Smith, Senator, Republican, District 1, Capitol office S-316; the code used to read the sponsor and vote records.Government record - 41Oregon state Rep. David Brock Smith appointed to Senate seat (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2024)Oregon Capital Chronicle (Internet Archive copy) · January 11, 2023
The Chronicle’s report of the appointment meeting: the unanimous vote by commissioners from Coos, Curry and Douglas counties, Heard’s January 1 resignation, his statements on climate change and offshore wind, and his remarks on the 2021 menstrual-products law. Read through the Internet Archive because the newspaper’s site refuses automated requests.Independent reporting - 42HB 3294 (2021) — Representative Brock Smith’s recorded vote (MeasureVotes)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 18, 2026
“Rep Smith DB” recorded Aye on the House third reading of HB 3294, June 24, 2021.Government record - 43Measures on menstrual products, 2023 Regular Session (Measures with “menstrual” in the catchline)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 18, 2026
SB 246, HB 2428 and HB 3472, each to remove or modify the requirement to provide menstrual products in student bathrooms, all still in committee with no chapter number; HB 2963 on SNAP purchases.Government record - 44SB 246, HB 2428 and HB 3472 (2023) — sponsor records (MeasureSponsors)Oregon State Legislature (public data service) · Accessed September 18, 2026
Chief sponsors Senator Robinson (SB 246), Representatives Wright and McIntire (HB 2428) and Representative Ruiz (HB 3472), with Representative Diehl as a regular sponsor; “Sen Smith DB” does not appear.Government record
No matching sources. Try “Clerk,” “Senate,” or “campaign.”
Scope & method. Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions, and stated priorities, not an exhaustive vote-by-vote record. The Legislature’s public data service was read for every measure listing him as a chief sponsor from 2017 through 2026 and for the enacted measures of the 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 regular sessions; the 2018, 2020 and 2022 short sessions were not read for enactments, his regular sponsorships were not counted, and floor votes other than the named ones were not tabulated. The primary and general-election figures are the Secretary of State’s unofficial counts as preserved by the Internet Archive, because the results site no longer serves those pages and the certified abstracts could not be retrieved. Ballotpedia, the Federal Election Commission’s data service (rate-limited on every attempt, including at the fact-check stage), OpenSecrets, the race-rating publishers and public polling were not reachable or not part of this review, so no candidate identifier, committee name, fundraising figures, ratings or polls are asserted. Birth date, degrees, the years of county service, license records and personal financial disclosures were not part of this review. An independent fact-check on September 18, 2026 re-read every cited document, recomputed the sponsorship and enactment counts from the cached records and added the Capital Chronicle’s January 2023 report of the appointment meeting, his 2021 vote on HB 3294 and the 2023 sponsor records on menstrual-products bills. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution. Historical sources do not imply current positions. The source list provides direct links so readers can check the underlying material. Filings and campaign pages may change after this review.
Images. Conservative Ledger masthead supplied by the site creator. The candidate portrait is the official member photograph published on Senator Brock Smith’s page on the Oregon State Legislature’s website (oregonlegislature.gov/smithd), a state-government photograph whose license terms the site does not state; it is reproduced at low resolution with credit and flagged for the owner’s decision. No campaign-owned photograph is used. Inclusion does not imply campaign authorization or endorsement of this publication.
Where to find the candidate
Every link below was read from the campaign’s own website or the candidate’s official government page. A follower count is printed only where it was measured; otherwise the link is published and the number is left blank rather than guessed at.
Voting in Oregon: official dates, deadlines and rules
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The dates and rules below were read from the Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division; the authority's own page, linked beside each one, is the final word.
Dates and deadlines
- Voter registration deadlineOctober 13, 2026 — 21 days before Election Day — is the last day to register to vote in the November 3, 2026 general election. Registration cards postmarked by that date, or registrations submitted online no later than 11:59 pm that day, are valid. If you are already registered in Oregon, you can update your voter registration information until 8 p.m. on Election Day and still vote. If you will become a U.S. citizen after the cutoff day but before Election Day, you can still vote: contact your county elections office before the cutoff day to let them know. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/pages/current-election.aspx
- Online registration deadlineOctober 13, 2026, by 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time, the 21st calendar day before the election: a new registrant must submit the online registration by then to be eligible to vote in this election. The Secretary of State's 2026 registration flyer prints this deadline as “Tuesday, October 13th by 11:59:59 p.m. PST”. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/toolkit/2026-Registering-to-Vote-in-Oregon-English-11x17.pdf
- Registration by mail: postmark deadlineA paper voter registration card must be postmarked by October 13, 2026. The card says to mail it or drop it off at your county elections office. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/current-elections-calendar.pdf
- In-person registration deadlineOctober 13, 2026. Oregonians can register in person at the county elections office or at certain state agencies like the DMV, and the deadline to register is 21 days before Election Day. The Secretary of State's pages print no closing hour for registering in person on that day. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/voteinor.aspx
- Ballots mailed to votersBallots are mailed to voters from October 14, 2026 (first day) through October 20, 2026 (last day); no request is needed. Other mailing dates on the Secretary of State's calendar: September 19, 2026, last day to mail ballots to military and overseas voters; September 21, 2026, first day the county clerk may provide, in person or by mail, a ballot to a voter who will be away during the election; October 5, 2026, first day to mail ballots to voters with a non-Oregon mailing address who are not military or overseas voters; October 29, 2026, last day counties are required to mail absentee, reissued or replacement ballots. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/current-elections-calendar.pdf
- Deadline to return your ballot (postmarked by Election Day, or in an official drop box by 8 pm)November 3, 2026 is the last day to return your ballot. A ballot that is mailed must be postmarked by Election Day, and November 10, 2026 is the last day for valid postmarked ballots to be received by mail. A ballot deposited in an official drop box must be received by 8 pm on Election Day. The Secretary of State advises mailing your ballot at least 1 week before Election Day and, if you mail it close to Election Day, visiting a USPS office for a free manual postmark. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/current-elections-calendar.pdf
- Election Day hours: County Clerk's offices and official drop sitesOregon is an all vote-by-mail state, so there are no polling-place hours to list. On Election Day, November 3, 2026, the County Clerk's office is open 7 am - 8 pm and official drop sites are open until 8 pm; a ballot deposited in an official drop box must be received by 8 pm. The Secretary of State's calendar prints no time zone for these hours. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/current-elections-calendar.pdf
Rules to know
- ID and your signatureThe Secretary of State's instructions for filling out and returning a ballot do not mention showing ID. They tell you to sign the return envelope: trained election officials compare the signature on your ballot envelope with the signatures in your voter registration record, and the signature is essential for the ballot to be verified and counted. Identification is requested when you register. The voter registration card asks for a valid Oregon driver license, permit or ID number or, without one, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, provide a copy of one of the following that shows your name and current address: valid photo identification, a paycheck stub, a utility bill, a bank statement, a government document, or proof of eligibility under UOCAVA or VAEH. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/SEL500.pdf
- Voting by mailYou do not have to request a ballot: active registered voters receive an official ballot to complete and return. Place the completed ballot in the return envelope provided, seal it and sign the envelope. Return it by mail — no postage needed — or at any official drop box across the state; you may also hand-deliver it to your county elections office. If you will be away from your home address during the election — for example, a student at an out-of-state college or a voter who is traveling — fill out the Absentee Ballot Request Form (SEL 111) and return it to the county elections office, or update online using My Vote; starting September 21, 2026, the county clerk may provide a ballot, in person or by mail, to a voter who will be away during the election. A voter whose registration status is inactive will not receive a ballot. If your ballot is damaged or lost, contact your county elections office; October 29, 2026 is the last day counties are required to mail absentee, reissued or replacement ballots. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/voteinor.aspx
- Returning your ballot before Election DayOregon is an all vote-by-mail state, so the Secretary of State publishes no early-voting dates or early-voting sites: voting early here means returning your ballot before Election Day. Official drop sites are available 24/7 from the time ballots are mailed until 8 p.m. on Election Day, and you can also drop off your ballot directly at your county elections office during the voting period (check your county elections website for its hours). Find the nearest drop site on your county elections website or at oregonvotes.gov/dropbox; the Secretary of State says its Drop Box Locator will become available after ballots are mailed to voters 20 days before the election. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/toolkit/2026-Dont-Wait-Vote-Early-General-Election-English-11x17.pdf
- Track your ballotYou can track your ballot's progress on the Secretary of State's website by entering your name and date of birth in My Vote. My Vote also lets you check if you are registered to vote, view and update your voter registration, check the status of your ballot, and find a ballot drop site and the contact information for your county elections office. Some counties offer ballot tracking that notifies voters by text, phone or email when the ballot is mailed and again when it has been accepted for counting. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/faq.aspx
- If your signature is missing or does not matchIf the signature on your ballot envelope is missing or does not match, you will be notified and have 21 days after Election Day to confirm it, so your vote can be counted. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar lists November 24, 2026 as the last day to resolve ballot challenges. A “challenged ballot” status usually means there was a problem with the signature on your ballot envelope: you will receive a letter with information on how to fix the issue, and you can contact your county clerk to resolve it. Read from: sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/toolkit/2026-Sign-Clearly-Vote-Confidently-English-11x17.pdf
Read from: Oregon Secretary of State : Voting & Elections : State of Oregon · Oregon Secretary of State : Upcoming Elections : State of Oregon · 2026 Elections Calendar · Oregon Secretary of State : Voting in Oregon : State of Oregon · Oregon Secretary of State : Oregon Online Voter Registration : State of Oregon · Oregon Secretary of State : Update Voter Registration Information : State of Oregon — Rules and dates as of Sep 17, 2026
Ideas, questions, corrections
If something on this page is wrong, out of date, or missing, the fastest way to get it fixed is to send the document. Corrections that arrive with a source are applied. Suggestions for what the Ledger should cover next are welcome on the same address. info@davidbrocksmithfororegon.com
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