Republican Nominee for U.S. Senate, Washington
By Rebecca J. Horvath, Tennessee
Tiffany Smiley has already taken on Washington, D.C., and won. Now, she’s ready to make it her job.
Tiffany is running for Senate in Washington state, hoping to unseat incumbent Democrat Patty Murray. No Republican has won a Senate seat in the Evergreen State since 1994, but Tiffany believes her message resonates with all voters who are unhappy with D.C. politics.
“Everywhere I go I ask people, ‘Are you better off today than you were 6 years ago? 30 years ago?’ And the answer I always get is ‘no.’ I was 11 years old when Patty Murray was first elected to the Senate, and look where Washington is today,” she says.
Tiffany, who has proactively pledged to observe term limits, was born and raised in rural Washington and married her high school sweetheart. In 2005, her husband, Scotty - a West Point graduate and Army officer - was serving in Iraq when he was severely wounded by a suicide bomber. When he returned home to recover, the Army insisted Scotty retire. His wife fought for him to be allowed to continue serving - and she won. Scotty Smiley became the first blind active duty officer in the U.S. Army.
“Scotty’s injuries and subsequent recovery taught me so much - especially about what can be accomplished when you are focused on achieving a specific outcome,” Tiffany says. “That experience reinforced that nothing is out of reach when you work hard and build a coalition of like-minded people.”
Their time at Walter Reed Medical Center motivated Tiffany Smiley to become an advocate for massive reforms to the Veterans Affairs system after she witnessed dozens of wounded or sick veterans with no support system. Since 2017, she has worked with policy makers on Capitol Hill, even meeting with President Donald Trump to help him understand the brokenness in the VA.
In fact, Tiffany’s entire career path changed following her husband’s injuries. Formerly a triage nurse, she channeled her newfound activism into co-founding a non-profit called Hope Unseen, motivational speaking, fighting for veterans, and now, running for United States Senate.
Being a mother of four young boys has provided continued inspiration for Tiffany’s tireless advocacy. “During the pandemic, Washington’s schools were closed for almost two years. I watched as our students fell farther and farther behind, and mental health issues, depression and suicides became more prevalent in younger and younger children,” she explains.
“I want my kids to be in school. I want them to play sports. It was heartbreaking to watch them lose interest in learning because it was all virtual. Our schools are shaping the next generation, and I want to keep them open. I want to make sure our children are getting a solid foundation in the basics - reading, writing and math - and protect the rights of parents to be involved in their children’s education. I want to make every school a great school, and I will achieve this by drawing on my experiences with the Army - building a coalition and working hard.”
As a member of the Columbia Basin Republican Women, Tiffany is surrounded by a coalition of like-minded women - and she’s grateful. “The support I’ve received from fellow, like-minded women over the past seventeen months has been such a boon to me on the campaign trail. Just someone taking the time to say, ‘I’m praying for you,’ or, ‘I know you can do it, and I’m behind you all the way!’ has meant a lot. It seems like such a small thing, but that is the encouragement that helps me keep going,” she shares.
Ultimately, Tiffany’s fighter spirit propelled her to a Senate run. “In April of 2005, Scotty came face-to-face with a suicide bomber in Mosul, Iraq, and our world was blown into a million pieces. It was a lot of work, and it was a slow road back to recovery, but we have built a life together that we love,” she says. “We are raising healthy, happy young men who will contribute to our society and keep the American dream alive for another generation. The road hasn’t been easy, but we walked it together and have come out on the other side stronger and more determined than ever to fight for America. We want our boys to have a country worth losing their eyesight for as well.”
Learn more about Tiffany's campaign at www.smileyforwashington.com.