Senator Harri Anne Smith Retiring

Matt Boster

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Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Mar 20 2018 5:57 PM

MONTGOMERY:  The office of State Senator Harri Anne Smith announced in the 3:00 PM hour of Tuesday afternoon that the senator will retire at the end of the current term.

Senator Smith (Senator of the People) has served in Montgomery as the Senator for Geneva, Houston and Dale counties for the last two decades.

From Harri Anne Smith 

State Sen. Harri Anne Smith, called “The People’s Senator” by area voters, announced her retirement today, after a history-making 20-year career in the Alabama Senate.

“We all know that there is a time and a season for everything,” Sen. Smith said. “Twenty years ago, the citizens of the Wiregrass gave me the great honor to represent them in the Alabama Senate.  Since that time, I have tried, through good times and bad, to put people first and give them a voice, particularly those who needed help the most.  I leave the Senate with pride in what we have been able to do in serving Geneva, Houston and Dale counties and the entire state.  It is now time to move on and allow another person to take up the mantle of service for our area.”

In 1998, Smith ran against sitting Sen. Chip Bailey and scored what was considered an amazing upset in Alabama politics.  That would set the stage for what would be a historic career that saw the passage of legislation and funding that would benefit the state and Wiregrass region.

In 2008, Smith, then a Republican, endorsed Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, a Democrat, for Congress because of his commitment to issues important to the Wiregrass including agriculture, Fort Rucker, senior citizens, and economic development.  As a result of that endorsement, the Alabama Republican Party blocked her from running in 2010 for re-election as a Republican, forcing the sitting senator to run as an independent.

“My parents always taught me to do what was right,” Smith said. “It was an easy decision for me to support a candidate for Congress who was committed to the Wiregrass.  I never imagined, having been a lifelong Republican, that a few extremists could manipulate the party and keep me off the ballot, but at the end of the day, the people had the last word.”

Within hours of the Alabama Republican Party in Birmingham removing Sen. Smith from the ballot, people throughout the district began organizing her historic, successful run as an independent.  The write-in campaign took off like wildfire, and within days it was clear that more than enough signatures would be gathered to put Smith on the ballot for State Senate as an independent.

“The write-in campaign was not about me,” she said. “It was about the people taking back their vote and their right to decide who their Senator would be.  We needed about 4,000 signatures to get on the ballot and ended up with more than 14,000  signatures.  My opposition had by far the most money, but we had the people behind us, and were blessed to win the historic race.”

As the only sitting independent in the Alabama Senate, Smith ran for a fifth term again as an independent in 2014, winning over a candidate who had been endorsed by most of the Montgomery special-interest groups.  Senator Smith is the first woman elected to the Alabama Senate as an Independent.

Sen. Smith’s most significant accomplishments included:

-- Sponsoring significant tort reform that reduced the number of outrageous lawsuits that were hurting Alabama’s pro-business reputation and damaging economic development.   Tort reform had been a major battle in Montgomery for many years, but Sen. Smith was able to help cobble together a coalition of Republican and Democrat senators who voted to make sweeping changes to reduce frivolous lawsuits. The Wall Street Journal said it “Opened Alabama for Business”.

-- Passing legislation honoring POW-MIA heroes.  Smith introduced and passed legislation that created a POW-MIA flag that flies today.

-- Stalwart support for senior citizens.  Alabama seniors had no stronger friend in Montgomery than Sen. Harri Anne Smith.  Through her work with the budget committees, Sen. Smith fought to protect funding for Meals on Wheels and enabled construction of new and renovated senior centers throughout the area, as well as healthcare services important to seniors.

According to Republican Senate President Del Marsh, no Senator fought harder to serve constituents than Harri Anne Smith.

“Many times in recent years, Harri Anne would come to my office and plead the case of a local citizen who needed help,” Marsh said.  “She stood up for the ‘little man and woman’ with a dedication and determination that few have.  No doubt she will leave a tough void to fill when it comes to constituent service.”

Other local legislators and prominent public figures also thanked Smith for her 20 years of dedicated service to Alabama and the Wiregrass.

Steve Clouse, Republican Chair of the powerful House General Fund Committee, said Sen. Smith was always a strong ally on any issue  important to the Wiregrass.

Former Dothan Mayor and current Dothan City School Board Chairman, Mike Schmitz, applauded Smith for her commitment to area schools, students, parents and teachers.

“Harri Anne is my friend but more important she was my Senator for 20 years.  Much of the progress we have made in the Wiregrass is due to her dedication and hard work,” Schmitz said.  “When she became aware of a person who had a need, no one worked harder to solve a problem than Harri Anne.  This was particularly true when it came to fighting for our schools and the funding that is so important to their success.  Oftentimes, Harri Anne would give up other programs to make sure our school funding was not cut.  Those were tough decisions, but she always stood tall.”

No spouse could have been more loyal and supportive than my husband, Charlie, and I look forward to us having some time together.  We ask for your prayers in the upcoming months as Charlie faces some health challenges.  As always, we will face these challenges together and with the knowledge that God has a plan.  God has blessed Charlie and me so much and we are so grateful.  Thank you so much for the incredible opportunity that I have had to serve you.

 

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