[5] In 2016, Smith again ran for a seat in the Florida Senate but was ultimately defeated by Keith Perry, a Republican and former state representative.

"[2] In 1992, Smith was recruited by a group of county sheriffs to seek the office of State Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Smith defeated incumbent Len Register that same year and, during his first term, successfully prosecuted serial killer Danny Rolling, the "Gainesville Ripper.

He strengthened the state's child abuse laws, fought discrimination in housing and worked to protect the privacy of crime victims.

"[3] In 2006, he led the coalition that defeated Governor Jeb Bush's plan to weaken Florida's voter-approved class size amendment and create a school voucher program.

He won respect from unions as a labor lawyer, got elected state attorney and went on to leadership posts in the Florida Senate."

Representatives Kendrick Meek and Allen Boyd broke with their fellow Florida Democratic House members to endorse Smith.

Smith combines the same grasp of those challenges with a more dynamic leadership style and a clearer, fresher record of building mainstream coalitions that can successfully carry the day on tough issues.

[8] At the same time, the Palm Beach Post endorsed Senator Smith, saying, "Rep. Davis would return to Tallahassee with good intentions.

[11] The Gainesville Sun also endorsed Smith saying, "Rod Smith is a superb orator, a skilled negotiator and ...a razor-sharp intellectual and a constitutional scholar who immerses himself in minutia of public policy making .... We think Rod Smith is the Democrat in this race who has the political capital to undo some of the damage that's been done to public education these past eight years, find the right balance between environmental protection and economic growth, protect Florida's fragile water resources and get a handle on the state's runaway health care costs without restricting access to quality care."

[12] On August 27, the Miami Herald endorsed Senator Smith, noting his record of bipartisanship and stating, "In 2006, the Democratic Party has its best chance since the days of the late Lawton Chiles to recapture the governor's office."

[13] Smith was criticized by media outlets for his allegedly-passive attitude toward Florida's sugar lobby and their attacks on his primary opponent.

Smith, who railed against smear tactics by third-party groups during his state senate campaigns, has consistently failed to rebuke Florida's Working Families (a notable front for Big Sugar interests) for the ads and, when asked, only repeats some of the allegations against Davis.

On March 1, 2016, Smith announced[7] his campaign for the seat against the then third-term Republican state representative Keith Perry.

[15] Still, during the first televised debate of the 2006 Democratic primary, Smith stated that he had "no problem with a carefully defined assault weapons ban.

[16] Smith has stated that he supports, and is a principal architect of, legislation requiring parental notification for minors seeking an abortion but would "leave an exception for the health and life of the mother."

[17] Smith describes himself as pro-choice and his official website promised to, "veto any legislation that would allow the government more influence over a woman's personal and private decisions regarding her own body.