Austin Smith (politician)
Austin Smith (born April 20, 1995) is an American politician. He has been a member of the 29th district of the Arizona House of Representatives, alongside Steve Montenegro, since 2023.[2]
Austin Smith | |
|---|---|
Smith in 2022 | |
| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 29th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Cesar Chavez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 20, 1995 (age 28) Glendale, AZ |
| Political party | Republican[1] |
| Residence(s) | Wittmann, AZ |
| Alma mater | Grand Canyon University |
| Occupation | Non-Profit Director |
| Committees | Vice Chairman - Natural Resources, Energy and Water |
| Website | AustinForArizona.com |
Life and career edit
Smith was a conservative youth leader.[3] He is a former director of Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization co-founded by Charlie Kirk and the late Bill Montgomery, and he is the former chairman of the Arizona branch of the Young Republicans.[4]
In January 2021, Smith was elected chairman of the Arizona Young Republicans Federation. He oversees Turning Point Action - Charlie Kirk's 501(c)4 political wing of Turning Point USA. He was endorsed by Congressman Paul Gosar for the State House in January 2022. He has received endorsements from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, the Arizona State Troopers Association, Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, Center for Arizona Policy Action, Make Liberty Win, Republicans for National Renewal, the National Rifle Association and support from various agricultural groups in the beef, dairy and cotton industries.
In August 2022, Smith defeated Hop Nguyen and Trey Terry in the Republican primary election for the 29th district of the Arizona House of Representatives.[5] In November 2022, he defeated Scott Podeyn along with Steve Montenegro in the general election.[6] He assumed office in 2023. In 2023, he introduced a bill that passed the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate to ban ranked choice voting in the State of Arizona.[7][8] The measure will appear on the statewide Arizona ballot in November 2024. He is a member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus in the Arizona House of Representatives. In 2023 he was appointed to the Arizona Water Banking Authority by Speaker of the House Ben Toma. Smith is one of two youngest Republicans in history elected to the Arizona House of Representatives.[9]
References edit
- ^ "These Arizona candidates still say Donald Trump won in 2020, or they're not sure what happened". The Arizona Republic. July 15, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "House Member". Arizona State Legislature. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "Montenegro, Smith Join New LD29 House Race". Arizona Daily Independent Network. January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Austin; Todd, Cheryl; Todd, Dan. "GunFreedomRadio EP313 Revival of Young Voters with Austin Smith". Apple Podcasts. Gun Freedom Radio. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "2022 Arizona State House - District 29 Republican Primary Results". USA Today. August 2, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Arizona State House - District 29 Election Results". Green Bay Press-Gazette. November 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ Roberts, Laurie (30 January 2023). "Arizona's MAGA legislators are terrified of voters and it shows". AZ Central. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ Gilger, Lauren (3 April 2023). "Republicans make moves to ban ranked choice voting before it reaches the Arizona ballot". KJZZ. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ Gomez, Gloria Rebecca (5 April 2023). "Lawmakers to ask AZ voters to block ranked-choice voting in 2024". AZ Mirror. Retrieved 28 April 2023.