Lamar Smith's Biography

As a senior Member of the Texas Congressional Delegation, Congressman Lamar Smith has represented residents of the 21st Congressional District since 1987.

Congressman Smith has shaped American public policy and left his imprint on national politics through a variety of leadership positions and by advancing dozens of pieces of key legislation.

Congressman Smith has been named one of the 100 most influential people in Washington by the National Journal.

In this Congress, Lamar Smith was selected by his colleagues to lead House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. As the Ranking Republican Member, he serves as a spokesman for the party and helps shape committee policy. Representative Smith has been Chairman of three of the Judiciary Committee’s five subcommittees: Intellectual Property, Crime, and Immigration.

Congressman Smith also was selected to serve on both the Homeland Security Committee, which considers legislation involving the war on terror, and the Science and Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over America’s space program, renewable energy policies, and environmental research.

In 2004, Representative Smith was elected to the House Republican Steering Committee to represent Republican Members of Congress from Texas. The 29-member House Steering Committee appoints members and chairmen of committees.

Representative Smith previously served as Chairman of the Ethics Committee and currently is the Ranking Republican on the Ethics Task Force.

A fifth-generation Texan, Congressman Smith graduated from Yale University and Southern Methodist University School of Law. Before his election to Congress, he practiced law, managed a family ranch and served as a state representative and county commissioner. He and his wife, Beth, have an adult daughter and son.

The 21st Congressional District includes portions of Bexar and Travis Counties and all of Comal, Real, Kerr, Bandera, Kendall and Blanco Counties. More than 650,000 people live in the District.