Former Oregon Congressman Bob Smith dies at 89

Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Smith, who represented Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District for more than a decade, died in Medford on Monday. He was 89.

Smith served from 1983 to 1995 as the U.S. representative for the district covering Eastern, Central and a part of Southern Oregon. He retired in 1995, but then he ran again in 1996 after his successor, Wes Cooley, admitted to lying about his military service record.

Smith was also elected to both chambers of the Oregon Legislature and served as the House speaker for two sessions in 1969 and 1971.

Smith’s cause of death was not immediately released, and family could not be immediately reached.

Rep. Greg Walden, a fellow Republican who succeeded Smith as the congressman for Oregon’s 2nd District, said he remembered meeting Smith for the first time when he was 13 and visiting the Capitol.

“Chairman Robert ‘Bob’ Freeman Smith was a one-of-a-kind rancher, legislator and advocate for the eastern Oregon way of life,” Walden said in a written statement.

His death also drew praise from state lawmakers and Oregon Right to Life.

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said in a statement, “Congressman Smith was known for his fierce advocacy for Eastern Oregon, ranching, and rural Oregon. His lasting contributions stand as an example of what it means to dedicate your life to your community and your state.”

Lois Anderson, Oregon Right to Life executive director, said Smith backed bills banning partial birth abortions and stopping federal tax dollars from funding abortions.

“Congressman Bob Smith reliably voted pro-life while serving the second district in Congress,” Anderson said in a statement. “He had a 100% pro-life voting record with National Right to Life.”