Erica J. Smith (D-Florida)

[Pilate]

Name: Erica Jean Smith
Seat: Florida's Class III
Party: Democrat (2004-present); Independent (1984-2004)
Avatar: Mackenzie Allen/Geena Davis
Major Caucus: Blue Dog Coalition

GENDER: Female (5 points)

AGE: 51 years old (May 21, 1966): 0 Points

SEXUALITY: Straight, married with < 3 children: -5 Points

- Married to Timothy Smith (m. 1989)

- Daughter, Sarah Smith (b. 1989), died by suicide at 16 (2005)

RACE/ANCESTRY: White/Caucasian: 0 Points

RELIGION: Liberal Protestantism: 0 Points

- The Progressive Episcopal Church (TPEC)

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY: College Degree at Public Ivy: 5 points

- Pennsylvania State University: Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications (1984-1988)

SOCIOECONOMIC HISTORY: Working-class: 10 points

- Father: Ralph Jean (b. 1949) (d. 2015)

- Mother: Brenda Perry Jean (b. 1950) 

- Sibling: Michael Jean (b. 1968); Oliver Jean (b. 1971); Jason Jean (b. 1973)

- Childhood: Erica Smith grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Her father, Ralph Jean, was a Roman Catholic coal miner who began working as a coal miner at age 10. Her mother, Brenda Perry Jean, was a less religious cook at a downtown diner. Ralph and Brenda met while frequenting the diner Brenda would later work for most of her life. While Ralph never went to high school, he and Brenda would date throughout her high school years. Erica was born when Ralph was 17 and Brenda was 16 years old. Both of their super-religious parents kicked them out of the home, leaving their incredibly young family to fend for themselves. After their marriage in 1969, Erica was joined by three other siblings, all brothers, through the years, as the Jean family grew. Erica took advantage of the opportunity to receive an academic scholarship to Penn State University and decided to jump into journalism and broadcasting thanks to being inspired by Barbara Walters.

CAREER HISTORY: 55 points

-  Print Journalist: 10 points (well-known)

-  Radio Host: 10 points

-  Television Host: 30 points (well-known)

-  Career Story: During her collegiate years, Erica met Timothy Smith, a descendant of wealthy real estate developers from Florida. She fell in love and promised to began a life with him in Florida after graduating. After moving to Miami in 1988, Erica was employed at the Palm Beach Post as a well-known print journalist, mostly covering political and human interest stories. Erica then became radio host at WFTL in Broward County in 1991. Her hosting duties consisted of being a down-the-line news anchor and gradually morphed into a more sophisticated morning talk show through the years. In 1995, Erica took the opportunity to jump into television presentation, hosting a local news-centric talk show on ABC-affiliate WPLG Local 10. Erica was an outspoken voice for working women and hosted frequent philanthropic fundraisers, typically geared toward women's issues and advocacy. On her show, she provided an outlet for female guests and audience members to openly discuss politics and pop culture. In 1998, her talk show, Erica Has The Tea, went into syndication, and became broadcast across many local American television stations. This made her a multi-millionaire and well-known nationally. In 2003, Erica ended talk show contract, desiring to enter public service. She registered as a Democrat, having previously been an Independent, and contemplated running for office. 

AWARDS AND EXTRAS: Major cultural award: 15 points

- Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding daytime talk series (2002)

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE HISTORY: 18 points

- U.S. Representative (2005-2017)

- U.S. Senator (2017-present)

- Backstory: After retiring from her syndicated talk show, Erica Smith ran for Congress, vying for Florida's 25th congressional district. In the 2004 elections, Erica Smith was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Two months after taking office in 2005, her daughter, Sarah Smith, committed suicide. She took several weeks away from her D.C., returning to the office in the Spring, vowing to be an advocate for mental health awareness among young people. She won five more terms between 2006 and 2016. In 2015, months after her fifth reelection victory, Smith announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate. In the November elections, she won, being sworn in on the Senate floor in January 2017, beginning her first term.

KEY VOTES:

- 2007-09: Aye, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008

- 2009-11: Aye, Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010

- 2011-13: Aye, United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement

- 2013-15: Aye, Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization; Aye, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013

- 2015-17: Aye, Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015

 

98/100

Edited April 20 by Pilate

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