Ora Smith (December 3, 1884 – July 31, 1965) was an American politician and farmer. Grain farmer and cattle raiser by trade Ora Smith was born December 3, 1884, in

New Market, Iowa New Market is a city in Taylor County, Iowa, United States. The population was 385 at the time of the 2020 census. History New Market got its start in the year 1881, following construction of the Humeston and Shenandoah Railroad through the ter ...

. He grew up in Alexis and Kirkwood, Illinois and lived in

Biggsville, Illinois Biggsville is a village in Henderson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 304 at the 2010 census, down from 343 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Biggsville is ...

most of his adult life. Smith went on to serve six terms in the Illinois State House from 1937 to 1949, one term as

Illinois State Treasurer The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois. Current Occupant The current Treasurer of Illinois is Democrat Mike Frerichs. He was first elected to head t ...

from 1949 to 1951 under

Adlai Stevenson II Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (; February 5, 1900 – July 14, 1965) was an American politician and diplomat who was twice the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. He was the grandson of Adlai Stevenson I, the 23rd vice president of ...

. He made an unsuccessful bid for Clerk of the Illinois Supreme Court in 1950. In a surprise comeback, Smith defeated Republican incumbent Morris E. Muhleman to represent the 53rd district in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

. Smith served a single term. In the 1962 general election, Republican candidate Donald D. Carpentier of East Moline defeated Smith by a margin of approximately 900 votes. Smith died on July 31, 1965, at Monmouth Hospital in

Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warf ...

. He was buried in Biggsville.Our Campaigns.com.-Ora Smith
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References

1884 births 1965 deaths People from Henderson County, Illinois People from Taylor County, Iowa Farmers from Illinois Businesspeople from Illinois Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Democratic Party Illinois state senators State treasurers of Illinois 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American businesspeople {{Illinois-Ilrepresentative-stub