“Smitty”
Committed to Gary’s Independence, Growth, and Community — Your Next Precinct Committeeman in G6-18.
Robert “Smitty” Smith is a 20-year Army Reserve veteran, having served as a Healthcare Specialist from 1999 to 2019. His issues aren’t talking points — they’re his life. He knows firsthand what veterans carry when they come home, and he knows the gaps in care that too many of them fall through.
When he wasn’t serving his country, Smitty was working Gary’s industrial corridor. More than a decade across Gary’s rail lines and steel plants, he worked his way from the floor to management — part of the backbone that keeps Northwest Indiana moving.
When Smitty saw that Precinct G6-18 needed real representation — someone who fights for veterans because he is one, who understands working families because he is one — he didn’t wait to be asked. He showed up at the Board of Elections and filed. That’s Smitty.
A Precinct Committeeman is a member of the Democratic Party Central Committee responsible for voter education, engagement, and turnout within their precinct. It’s the most local form of democratic representation that exists — and it’s the one that matters most on your block.
The PCP is who you call when you have a question about your polling location, a candidate on your ballot, or your voting rights. Smitty will be accessible, responsive, and present. Not just at election time — year round.
Precincts are small by design — so your voice is loud. In G6-18, that means Smitty will personally know the streets, know the neighbors, and know the issues. No proxies. No excuses.
Six issues. One community. One candidate who will fight for all of them.
Gary’s veterans deserve more than a thank-you — they deserve action. Smitty will advocate for expanded VA access, benefits navigation support, and recognition programs that honor our local heroes in the community where they live.
Too many veterans come home carrying invisible wounds. Smitty supports community-based mental health resources, peer support networks, and actively removing the stigma that keeps our veterans from asking for help.
Our seniors built this city. Smitty is committed to connecting G6-18 elders with the resources they deserve — from transportation assistance to benefits enrollment — so they can age with dignity in the community they made.
Every registered voter in G6-18 deserves a clear, unobstructed path to the ballot. Smitty will provide polling location guidance, cut through voting confusion, and make sure every neighbor knows their rights before May 5 — and every election after.
Small businesses are Gary’s backbone. Smitty will actively connect local entrepreneurs with grants, technical assistance, and city resources so the businesses on your block have a real fighting chance to grow and thrive.
Gary residents with service animals deserve full respect and accommodation across their entire neighborhood. And every family deserves safe, clean green space where their dogs — and their kids — can run free.
When it was time to file, Smitty showed up in person — at the Lake County Board of Elections & Registration, paperwork in hand. These are the moments that define a candidate.
