She took leave from her job at the American Trial Lawyers Association to be finance director of John Edwards's 1998 campaign for U.S. Senate.

She met Pete Rouse and Steve Hildebrand on Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's unsuccessful reelection campaign in 2004, where she raised $21 million.

[6][8][10] During the 2006 election cycle, she raised record sums as finance director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, under Chuck Schumer.

[9] Smoot was, according to a press report, declared "MVP for the first fundraising quarter" due to her success in raising money for the Obama presidential campaign in 2007.

[11][12] In 2013 she founded the political consulting firm STG Results with fellow Obama staffer Scott Tewes.