David Brock Smith

David Brock Smith is the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Oregon and has been a state senator from District 1 since 2023. A small-business owner from Port Orford who took over his family's restaurant, he served in local government and in the Oregon House before moving to the state Senate. He says he is running to bring a rural voice to Washington.[1][2]

Smith was born in Port Orford, Oregon, and describes himself as a third-generation Southwest Oregon resident; his campaign website says he is the son of Frank and Bonnie Smith, both raised in Port Orford.[1][2] He earned an associate degree from Southwestern Oregon Community College and a bachelor's degree from Southern Oregon University.[1] After working in the culinary industry in the Rogue Valley, he returned home to take over the family's Port Orford restaurant, the Port & Starboard, from his parents, according to his campaign website.[1][2]

Smith served on the Port Orford City Council, including as president, on the school board and the Curry County Planning Commission, and as president of the North Curry County Chamber of Commerce; his campaign website also lists service on other local boards before he ran for the legislature.[1][2][3] He was elected to the Curry County Board of Commissioners in 2012.[3] He was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2016 from District 1, succeeding Wayne Krieger, and served from 2017 to 2023; in the 2021-2022 session he was vice chair of the House Energy and Environment Committee.[1] Smith was appointed to the Oregon State Senate for District 1 in January 2023, succeeding Dallas Heard, and won election to a full term in 2024 over Lupe Preciado-McAlister. He won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on May 19, 2026.[1][3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.