Congressman Smith Statement on the Election
I am thankful and honored that the people of Washington’s 9th District who re-elected me to serve them in Congress. We are one of the most diverse districts in the nation, and I will continue to work hard to make sure that the voice of every person I represent is heard. I will also work together with my constituents to try to create greater equality and prosperity both here and across the country.
This will be more challenging given the campaign Donald Trump ran on his way to the presidency. It was one of the most bitter, divisive, nasty and negative our nation has ever witnessed. It tried to pull us apart instead of bringing us together. He claimed in his acceptance speech that he wants to heal these wounds and work together moving forward. I hope this is true, but have little reason to believe it is. The wounds he inflicted during the campaign to women, countless ethnic and religious groups, and a large number of others will not be easy to simply paper over and forget.
I have always believed in a pragmatic, problem-solving approach to politics and public policy, and have striven to be able to work with a wide range of people from liberal Democrats to conservative Republicans. I believe it is my duty to the people of my district to hold Mr. Trump accountable every step of the way. We are a better country than the one he portrayed during his campaign, and Mr. Trump will need to take a vastly different approach to governing than he did to running this race if we are to make progress on the challenges we face as a nation.
Again, I thank the people of the the 9th District for giving me the opportunity to continue to serve them in Congress.