# Murrell Smith Jr.

George Murrell Smith Jr. (born May 15, 1968) is an American politician and the 61st Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Since 2001, he has represented the 67th district of South Carolina for Sumter and Sumter County.

## Political career

George Smith was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 67th District in 2001, and has held this seat since. He is a member of the Republican Party. In his time as a representative, he has mostly run in uncontested races, barring Libertarian Party challenger, Brandon Humphries, whom he overwhelmingly defeated.
On December 5, 2018, Smith was appointed as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee by Speaker of the House Jay Lucas. Smith previously served as chairman of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee and has sat on the House Ways and Means Committee since 2009.
In April 2022, Smith was elected unanimously by the House to succeed Jay Lucas as Speaker of the House of Representatives. He assumed office on May 12, 2022. Smith was challenged by Bill Chumley, a member of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, for the position in December 2024, and defeated him in a 102-17 vote.
Since Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Smith has been vocal in his support for restricting access to abortion in the state of South Carolina. After the South Carolina Supreme Court voted 3-2 to nullify a six-week abortion ban, Smith criticized the court as creating “a constitutional right to an abortion where none exists.”

## Electoral History
### 2008 SC House of Representatives

In 2008, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.

### 2010 SC House of Representatives

In 2010, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.

### 2012 SC House of Representatives

Smith ran unopposed in the Republican primary in 2012.
South Carolina House of Representatives District 67 General Election, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 11,696 | 99.1 |
| | Other | Write-Ins | 106 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,802 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014 SC House of Representatives

In 2014, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.

### 2016 SC House of Representatives

In 2016, Smith ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.

### 2018 SC House of Representatives

Smith ran uncontested in the Republican primary in 2018.
South Carolina House of Representatives District 67 General Election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 8,640 | 82.2 |
| | Libertarian | Brandon Humphries | 1,811 | 17.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,515 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020 SC House of Representatives

The Republican primary was cancelled in 2020.
South Carolina House of Representatives District 67 General Election, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 13,834 | 97.3 |
| | Other | Write-ins | 390 | 2.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,224 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2022 SC House of Representatives

The Republican primary was cancelled in 2022.
South Carolina House of Representatives District 67 General Election, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Murrell Smith Jr. (incumbent) | 9,705 | 98.4 |
| | Other | Write-in | 155 | 1.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,860 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Personal life

Born in Florence, South Carolina, Smith spent the majority of his childhood in Sumter, South Carolina, where he attended Wilson Hall School. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at Wofford College, where he completed his B.A. in Forms of Government in 1990. After earning his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1993, Smith began practicing law in his hometown of Sumter: first as a public defender and later as partner at Lee, Erter, Wilson, Holler & Smith, LLC. He and his wife, Macaulay, have two children: Mary Brown "Bee" Smith and George Murrell Smith III.