Smith first ran for office in 2015-16 as a candidate to replace retiring Supervisor Michael R. Frey, who had held the position for 24 years.
[2][3] In a 2015 interview, Smith distinguished herself from her opponent, Republican John Guevara, by noting "We see the job of supervisor and the role of local government very differently.
"[4] She went on to say that she would work full-time in the position, prioritize education, and approach issues "in a non-partisan manner to find common sense solutions to the challenges we face as our population ages and changes.
"[4] Guevara later tried, unsuccessfully, to attack Smith on the basis of her husband's salary, saying that she could afford to be supervisor full-time because he still needed to work another job to support his family.
[9] Her platform emphasized funding education, protecting the local environment, improving transportation and reducing commute times, and meeting the needs of a diverse Fairfax population.