Cameron Smyth (born August 19, 1971) is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician who served in the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

. He succeeded Keith Richman who was

term-limited A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Smyth served on the

Santa Clarita Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17t ...

City Council, where he was first elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. During his time on the council, Smyth twice served as mayor, first in 2003 and again in 2005.

Background

Born in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

and raised in

, Smyth attended local public schools and earned his

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in Rhetoric and Communications from the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

, where he was also a two-sport athlete.

Political background

Smyth began his career as a Field Representative for the

California Republican Party The California Republican Party (CAGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the U.S. state of California. The party is based in Sacramento and is led by chair Jessica Millan Patterson. As of October 2020, Republicans repre ...

. In 1994 he was hired by the late State Assemblyman William "Pete" Knight. In 1996, Smyth served as campaign manager for Knight's successful State Senate campaign. Other than Garrett Biggs, who served as on-site manager for the late Assemblyman

Nao Takasugi Nao Takasugi (April 5, 1922 – November 19, 2009) was an American politician from California, a member of the Republican Party, and a survivor of the Japanese American internment camps. Early life Born and raised in Oxnard, California, Takasug ...

's successful re-election campaign, Smyth was the youngest on-site manager for any state legislative race in California at that time. Upon winning the election, Knight promoted Smyth to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff. In 2000, Smyth moved to the private sector to operate his own consulting business.

Personal

Smyth and his wife Lena are the parents of two sons.

References

Cameron Smyth — State Assembly Member
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smyth, Cameron Republican Party members of the California State Assembly 1971 births Living people California city council members Mayors of places in California People from Santa Clarita, California University of California, Davis alumni 21st-century American politicians