Jason Smith

Jason Smith grew up in Salem with a mother who worked in a factory and a father who was both a mechanic and a preacher.¹ He is the fourth generation to own his family's farm.² At Salem High School, he participated in FFA, the agricultural education organization.²

Smith graduated from the University of Missouri after studying agricultural economics and business administration, then earned his law degree at Oklahoma City University.² He finished law school at twenty three and worked as a lawyer before entering the Missouri legislature.².³

His state legislative service lasted from 2005 to 2013 and included becoming speaker pro tempore of the Missouri House.² Elected to Congress in 2013, he later served as House Republican conference secretary and became the Budget Committee's senior Republican in 2021.² He became chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in January 2023.¹

As chairman, Smith helped develop the tax provisions in the major tax and spending package enacted in July 2025.² His stated priorities include lower taxes, regulatory relief and trade policies favoring American workers, farmers and small businesses.² In outlining his committee agenda, he also advocated domestic energy production and using tax and trade policy to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains.¹ His November opponents are Democrat Chris Reichard and Libertarian Rebecca Sharpe Lombard.⁴