SPOTLIGHT RACE: Jeff Smith for WI-SD31
Here in western Wisconsin, we care about what we’re leaving behind for the next generation. As a Democratic Senator, Jeff Smith shares those values because he was born and raised right here.
Jeff was born at Sacred Heart Hospital- back when it was on Dewey St!- in Eau Claire and grew up on Starr Ave. He was a student at Longfellow, Sacred Heart, and then graduated from North High School. Jeff sang in the choir, played football, and was a captain of the track team.
“I’ve lived here all my life – I’m one of those people who never really traveled very far. It’s a part of me.”
Jeff has dedicated his life to giving back to this community that raised him.
He spent most of his adult life working to grow a small window cleaning business serving the Chippewa Valley area. Jeff started working with his dad scrubbing floors in grocery stores, cleaning phone booths across Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and Menomonie, and cleaning windows for local businesses and homes. After taking over, he grew the business from a two-man operation to one with 22 employees.
“I started working with my dad when I was twelve years old. Saturdays and some nights I’d be out scrubbing floors, doing all of the extra things that my dad had me do back in those days. After I graduated from North, he needed someone he could depend on to work with, so he asked me to stick with him, and I did. I ended up buying the business from him and expanding it. We went from a father and son operation cleaning out phone booths to the guys that take on big jobs like rappelling down the front of Sacred Heart Hospital to clean the windows.”
Thanks to strong public schools, good union jobs at plants like the paper mill and Uniroyal, living wages from local businesses, and a tight-knit Chippewa Valley community, success was possible for small business owners like Jeff.
“Nobody goes it alone. Every small business owner will tell you that their families, their background, the relationships they built along the way, the strength of their local economy… it all matters for a small business to survive. And I know I certainly haven’t succeeded on my own. This community made that possible and everyone deserves the same opportunities that I had.”
Jeff married his wife Sue, a lifelong western Wisconsinite herself, and they built their Town of Brunswick home from the ground up. Their home became Jeff’s office where he grew his business, where the two rested after a day’s work, and where they raised their two daughters and built their future together.
Sue was a teacher in the Eau Claire public schools so she wasn’t able to volunteer in her daughter’s classrooms. Jeff became the classroom parent who volunteered at their schools during the day when Sue could not.
“Little Red Elementary built a foundation of success for our daughters. Their dedicated teachers were able to teach effectively in small classes at their local, rural school. They got the opportunity to learn hands-on out on the nature trail- an experience that really made Little Red unique. Teachers like those at Little Red and my wife, Sue, make a difference everyday and create a better future for all of us.”
Jeff served as president of the PTA and PTO at Little Red and DeLong as his girls grew up. His involvement led him to found the Parent Advisory Council at the Eau Claire School District to expand parental involvement in their kid’s education. Jeff’s advocacy grew and Governor Jim Doyle appointed him to serve on his Task Force on Educational Excellence in 2003.
Jeff's interest in strengthening rural communities also led him to serve as Town Chair in Brunswick for 6 years. As Town Chair he took on the challenges facing small towns like theirs.
“I put a lot of work into building my family’s home years ago and I’ve never regretted it. In western Wisconsin, we have something special: a welcoming community, strong work ethic and a beautiful landscape. Rural Wisconsin has much to offer. If we want to preserve our way of life while attracting and retaining future generations, we must make the investments today.”
In 2006, Jeff was elected to represent the 93rd Assembly District- bringing his experience as a rural town chair and public school parent to Madison. He served for two terms passing legislation advancing educational opportunities, protecting our environment, and strengthening our region.
After he left the State Assembly, he continued to work for our community as a Regional Organizer for the Western Wisconsin cooperative of Citizen Action of Wisconsin advancing issues such as supporting a living wage, fighting predatory loan agencies, and protecting our land and water.
But there was still work to be done back in Madison. So, again, Jeff stepped up to serve.
He was elected in 2018 as our state Senator from the 31st district. Over the past four years, he has authored legislation to expand affordable broadband access, strengthen consumer protections in health care billing practices, increase monitoring and prevention of CWD, and protect voting rights.
“We are measured by our impact on the next generation, and I want to make sure my kids- and yours too- can count on a clean environment, great school system, and economic opportunity long after I’m gone.”
https://www.togetherwithjeff.com/