Shapleigh "Shap" Smith, Jr. (born December 16, 1965) is an American politician who served as the 92nd Speaker of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4 ...

. In August 2015 Smith announced his candidacy for the 2016 Democratic nomination for

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. In November he suspended his campaign, citing the need to spend time with his wife after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After his wife's health improved, he considered reentering the gubernatorial race but did not think he could raise the required funds in time, so he entered the race for

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, pre ...

instead. He announced his candidacy in May 2016, and finished second to David Zuckerman in the Democratic primary.

Biography

Smith graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...

(B.A., 1987), and is a member of the

Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Tria ...

fraternity. He also attended the

Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington The Indiana University Maurer School of Law is located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The school is named after Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer, an Indianapolis businessman and 1967 alumnus who donated $35 million in 2008 ...

(J.D., cum laude, 1991). He is an attorney and shareholder with the law firm of Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C. in Burlington. Smith, a Democrat, was first elected to the Vermont House in 2002. He represented the Lamoille-Washington 1 District, which includes the Towns of Elmore and

Morristown Morristown may refer to: Places Canada *Morristown, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States * Morristown, Arizona *Morristown, Indiana ** Morristown station (Indiana) *Morristown, Minnesota ** Morristown Township, Rice County, Minnesota *Morris ...

in Lamoille County and Woodbury and Worcester in Washington County. Early in his House career he was a member of the Ways & Means and Joint Fiscal Committees. On December 6, 2008, House Democrats, who held a 95–48 majority, nominated Smith to be the next Speaker of the Vermont House. He was elected Speaker on January 8, 2009, and was re-elected on January 5, 2011, January 8, 2013, and January 7, 2015. On August 20, 2015, Smith announced his candidacy for the 2016 Democratic nomination for Governor. In November he withdrew, following his wife's breast cancer diagnosis. Smith indicated in his withdrawal announcement that he was ending his campaign in order to spend more time with his wife during her treatment. Smith announced in May 2016 that he would be a candidate for

, citing his wife's improved health and a desire to continue a career in public service. A few days before the August 9th primary, he earned the endorsement of former Vermont Governor

Howard Dean Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, lobbyist, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 200 ...

. Smith finished second in the Democratic primary, losing to Democrat/

Progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

David Zuckerman, who had been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders.

Personal life

Smith resides in Morristown with his wife, Melissa Volansky, and his two daughters.

References

External links

Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Shap 1965 births Indiana University alumni Living people Politicians from Danbury, Connecticut People from Morristown, Vermont Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives University of Vermont alumni Vermont lawyers 21st-century American politicians Candidates in the 2016 United States elections