Who am I?

My name is Brett Smith. I was born June 3rd, 1982. I am the third child of eight. My father was paralyzed when I was around ten and my mother did what she could to keep us fed and a roof over our heads. PG&E destroyed my hometown of Hinkley California, poisoning me, my friends, and my family. It was the largest settlement of the time and some people got rich (most didn’t. We didn’t).

My parents moved us to Kansas when I was a sophomore in high school. I did not transition well, but it was a move that probably saved my brothers and me. I moved around a lot as a young man looking for work. Built houses and hospitals, finally settled on a trade and became a pipefitter and a welder. Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, California, Nevada, I met my wife in Arizona. Suddenly I had a family. I started looking at things differently. I started to think of the future.

My son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in 2001. Hospitalizations, surgery, and isolation. It broke my heart. You get used to life kicking you down, and at some point, you start to expect it. “It is what it is”. For a long time, I bought into that. "It is what it is." That’s fine when you’re late for work, or when you get a flat on the side of the road. But I cannot watch those I care about suffer and console them with an “it is what it is.” I will not.

In 2010, I developed a system to help my son live a better life, by 2015 I had an investor and my first US patent. I never got rich, and the system is stuck in an FDA hellscape, but I did get paid to work on my own invention for a time. It helped my wife get through school and become an RN. If I never achieve anything else in this life, I did that.

In 2016 my family and I moved from Kansas to Oregon. It was the only time in my life I moved because I wanted to. The only time I chose my destination. Oregon is my home; I love it here. I knew it the moment I went into deep, old growth. I got a part time job as a school bus driver in Canby. I needed a job that gave me time to work on another project. I had developed a scalable desalination and water purification system and wanted to focus on that. Flint Michigan reminded me of Hinkley. I wanted to help. To do something.

As a school bus driver, I saw a need for better safety measures. So, I developed a system to address that. At first everyone was supportive, but after a time I got push back. The health and wellbeing of people always takes a backseat to money, even children. Especially children.

In 2019 I became the maintenance director at a healthcare facility in Oregon City. On September 8th 2020 my wife and I drove into Molalla Oregon to evacuate a sister facility during the 2020 wildfires (Molalla is where we would buy our first and current home). Then Covid. During the pandemic, while everyone else was arguing about who to blame. I developed a system to protect my nursing staff. While supplies were running out and people were sick and dying. I did something. I didn’t talk about it. I acted.

That’s who I am. A regular person, doing the best they can with the hand they were dealt. Someone who is incapable of standing by when they might be able to help. That’s why I’m running. Like you I keep waiting for the adult in the room to stand up and stop this nonsense. A voice of reason. Then I looked into the mirror, saw grey creeping into my beard and a hairline doing its best, and thought “shit”.

Here we are 2024 and I’m running for Oregon’s 5th congressional district. I’m not running to further my political ambitions. This Isn’t some promotion I feel like I deserve. I’m running because our government has become cartoonishly incompetent and completely disconnected from the needs of its people. I’m running because nobody in their right mind thinks that those in power are going to save us. The idea is laughable.

Before you dismiss me out of hand. Before you turn to the DNC or the RNC to save us I’m going to leave this here.

Together the republicans and the democrats have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856. Before the state of Oregon existed.

I am not the lesser of two evils. I’m Brett, and I have a plan. We cannot stand by and let the worst of us take everything from the rest of us.

Also this is my dog Bucky

This is my pledge to you

This is the bare minimum. The absolute least you should expect from your elected officials.

Brett Smith: Oregon's 5th Congressional District

Contribution rules

I am a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident (i.e., green card holder).

This contribution is made from my own funds, and funds are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution.

I am making this contribution with my own personal credit card and not with a corporate or business credit card or a card issued to another person.

I am at least eighteen years old. I am not, nor am I making this contribution on behalf of, a corporation, labor organization, national bank, foreign national without a green card, a federal contractor, or any other federally impermissible source.

Contributions to Brett Smith for Congress are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. The order of election designation and the maximum amount an individual may contribute is $3,300 ($6,600/couple) for the 2024 primary election. $3,300 ($6,600/couple) for the 2024 general election. Federal multi-candidate PACs may contribute $5,000 per election. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to obtain and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 per election cycle. Contributions from corporations, foreign nationals (non-green card holders), labor unions, and federal contractors are prohibited. Contributions must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed by any other person.

[email protected]

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