Matt Smith, we hardly knew ye in your district
What is it about the 37th Senatorial District?
In 2012, John Pippy, the district’s young, up-and-coming and capable Republican senator, resigned before his term was done in order to take a private-sector job, in his case to lead the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance.
Now, Matt Smith, the district’s young, up-and-coming and capable Democratic senator, is resigning before his term is done in order to, yes, take a private-sector job. It was announced Thursday that Smith will be leaving the Legislature before his term is up next year in order to become president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.
It’s the chamber’s gain, to be sure, but a loss for all of Smith’s constituents, which includes large swatches of the South Hills and Peters Township in Washington County. We were impressed with Smith’s energy and knowledge about state and regional issues when we endorsed him in the close 2012 race against Republican D. Raja, a former Mt. Lebanon commissioner, though we noted Raja was also a first-rate candidate and came to the race with sterling credentials and an admirable life story, having come to the United States from India in the 1980s to be educated at the University of Pittsburgh. He stayed in the region, founded a technology company and raised a family. We would welcome seeing Raja make another attempt to win the 37th District Senate seat when a successor is chosen in a special election later this year, and we hope other candidates who can match Raja’s strengths enter the field, as well.
And we also hope whoever succeeds Smith decides to stay for a while.