Candidates for Utah Attorney General: Bob Smith

A candidate for Utah Attorney General, Bob Smith is seeking appointment by Governor Gary Herbert to replace former Utah Attorney General John Swallow, who resigned December 3. This is the eighth in a series of brief profiles on those who have filed to run for one of three Republican nominations to Governor Gary Herbert’s for appointment the spot. As information on each individual comes out, I’ll update the profiles here.

One of the last individuals to enter the race for Utah Attorney General, Bob Smith is also the last to get a run down here (my apologies, Bob. It’s been a busy week). Smith wasn’t even on my radar before he filed, let alone on my map. In fact, I had never even heard of him.

That’s not a bad thing. It’s refreshing to have a contender that isn’t a known political player. In my first review of him during the Utah Republican Party Attorney General Debate last night, he came across as prepared, articulate, and academic, all respectable and desirable qualities. Whether it will be enough to carry him into the top three that the Republican State Central Committee will send to Governor Gary Herbert is another question.

Smith is currently a professor at Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School where he is the managing director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU (to be honest, I’m not sure why he would want to leave that job deal with the mess of John Swallow’s legacy in the Utah Attorney General’s office, but there’s no accounting for taste. I’d be all about working in international law and academia. Just sayin’). He also has an MBA and is an accountant, and he received top marks while earning both his law degree at BYU, where he was in the top 5% and order of the coif, and his MBA at Notre Dame (also in the top 5% of his class).

He’s a smart guy, then. During his career, he’s worked as a tax attorney in Chicago and D.C., as well as in Salt Lake City where he was a shareholder and chairman at Kirton & McConkie.

In an email to Republican State Central Committee Members, Smith spelled out ten goals for his first year in office as Attorney General:

1. Restore integrity to the office of Attorney General by conducting an internal review of the senior leadership in the office. I will ask for the resignation of

those who have in any way demeaned the dignity of the office.

2. Reform the ethical rules and policies within the office of Attorney General to ensure that inappropriate political or fundraising activities are never repeated.

3. Improve the morale of the career professionals within the office of Attorney General by fostering their professional growth and opportunities.

4. Ensure the integrity of the 2014 special election for Attorney General by working with the Governor and state legislators to craft and implement appropriate campaign finance reform.

5. Demonstrate Utah’s commitment to religious freedom in America by organizing a coalition of Attorneys General to proactively monitor and advocate on behalf of religious freedom claimants from all faiths.

6. Work to restore the benefits of public lands to the states by organizing a coalition of western states Attorneys General to pursue an appropriate strategic plan.

7. Protect Utah’s constitutional definition of traditional marriage by organizing a coalition of legal experts to prepare for pending attacks and current litigation.

8. Enforce the clean up of Utah’s air through the appropriate implementation of Governor Herbert’s clean air initiative.

9. Reduce crime by advancing a new plan to teach our young people of the serious consequences of crime to themselves and society.

10. Protect Utah’s citizens from unreasonable “Obamacare” mandates by filing an amicus brief in the US Supreme Court to protect the right of employers to conscientiously object to abortion-inducing drugs.

While Smith was late to enter the race and could even be seen as an underdog, don’t underestimate him and his chances. With three names headed towards the Governor for the nomination, he might just surprise us all.

PS Smith lives in Cottonwood Heights with his wife and eight (!) children. Kudos!

You can learn more about Smith at his site or by email:

bobsmithutah@gmail.com

www.bobsmithutah.com