Her parents returned to the United States when she was six months old,[2] settling in Fortville, Indiana, where her father, Jerry Fisher, found work at RCA Records as a mechanical engineer.

[10] Although she led the candidate field in the open primary in June, she eventually lost to Republican Santa Clarita city councilman Dante Acosta, 52.87% to 47.13%, in the November general election.

[16] Smith picked up endorsements from the Los Angeles Times, Indivisible, and prominent Democratic figures such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, and Governor Gavin Newsom.

[17][18][19][20][21] Smith's 11 opponents in the March 3, 2020, primary election included former U.S. Representative Steve Knight, progressive political commentator Cenk Uygur, and foreign policy adviser for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign George Papadopoulos.

[26] Smith declined to attend a Democratic primary debate held on January 9, 2020, in Palmdale, California, citing her legislative duties in the State Assembly.