Ray Smith is from Athens, Georgia. He has a bachelor 27s degree in computer science from the University of Georgia. He lives in Oconee County with his wife and son. He is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Georgia Legislative Action Network.

Ray Smith is from Athens, Georgia. He has a bachelor 's degree in computer science from the University of Georgia. He lives in Oconee County with his wife and son. He is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Georgia Legislative Action Network.

Ray is a software engineer and consultant. He recently launched a consulting practice focused on helping nonprofits and political organizations make better use of technology. He previously worked as a senior site reliability engineer. 

Ray's campaign for Georgia State Senator, District 46, is his first time running for public office.

Supports eliminating the tipped minimum wage so all workers earn a living wage.

Supports raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Supports restoring collective bargaining rights for state employees.

Supports strengthening wage theft enforcement and penalties.

Supports redirecting economic development incentives from large retail stores to revitalizing downtown areas.

Supports walkable, mixed-use development that creates affordable commercial space for local businesses.

Supports reforming zoning laws to facilitate "Main Street development" that historically built local communities.

Supports passing right-to-repair legislation.

Supports enforcing antitrust laws to prevent corporate consolidation in agriculture.

- Supports eliminating the tipped minimum wage so all workers earn a living wage.
- Supports raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
- Supports restoring collective bargaining rights for state employees.
- Supports strengthening wage theft enforcement and penalties.
- Supports redirecting economic development incentives from large retail stores to revitalizing downtown areas.
- Supports walkable, mixed-use development that creates affordable commercial space for local businesses.
- Supports reforming zoning laws to facilitate "Main Street development" that historically built local communities.
- Supports passing right-to-repair legislation.
- Supports enforcing antitrust laws to prevent corporate consolidation in agriculture.

Economy

Supports expanding solar energy, which he says is "now cheaper than natural gas and creates local jobs."

Supports accelerating the deployment of solar and battery storage.

Supports protecting wetlands and water quality.

Supports sustainable farming practices with real funding, not just mandates.

Supports holding polluters accountable for contaminating land and water.

Aims to ensure environmental protections apply equally to rural communities.

Wants to make sure that environmental protections apply equally to rural communities.

Supports expanding rural broadband access.

Supports protecting drinking water, especially in rural areas that rely on wells.

- Supports expanding solar energy, which he says is "now cheaper than natural gas and creates local jobs."
- Supports accelerating the deployment of solar and battery storage.
- Supports protecting wetlands and water quality.
- Supports sustainable farming practices with real funding, not just mandates.
- Supports holding polluters accountable for contaminating land and water.
- Wants to make sure that environmental protections apply equally to rural communities.
- Supports expanding rural broadband access.
- Supports protecting drinking water, especially in rural areas that rely on wells.

Energy & the Environment

Supports expanding Medicaid to close the coverage gap.

Supports creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to prevent price increases.

Supports regulating pharmacy benefit managers to reduce costs.

Wants to "roll back laws that protect insurance companies from accountability."

Supports requiring commercial insurers to pay adequate rates to rural healthcare facilities.

Supports the Rural Emergency Hospital designation to maintain emergency services in communities that have lost full hospitals.

Supports investing in telemedicine infrastructure to extend specialist access to rural areas.

- Supports expanding Medicaid to close the coverage gap.
- Supports creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to prevent price increases.
- Supports regulating pharmacy benefit managers to reduce costs.
- Wants to "roll back laws that protect insurance companies from accountability."
- Supports requiring commercial insurers to pay adequate rates to rural healthcare facilities.
- Supports the Rural Emergency Hospital designation to maintain emergency services in communities that have lost full hospitals.
- Supports investing in telemedicine infrastructure to extend specialist access to rural areas.

Healthcare

Supports expanding early voting and mail-in voting.

Supports creating an independent redistricting commission to end gerrymandering.

Supports accessible voting for all eligible Georgians.

Supports strengthening ethics enforcement for state officials.

Supports limiting mid-decade redistricting to only court-ordered changes.

Supports mandating public transparency and meaningful comment periods for Public Service Commission (PSC) proceedings.

- Supports expanding early voting and mail-in voting.
- Supports creating an independent redistricting commission to end gerrymandering.
- Supports accessible voting for all eligible Georgians.
- Supports strengthening ethics enforcement for state officials.
- Supports limiting mid-decade redistricting to only court-ordered changes.
- Supports mandating public transparency and meaningful comment periods for Public Service Commission (PSC) proceedings.

Voting & Elections

Supports legalizing and regulating marijuana like alcohol, with taxes funding education.

Supports expanding pre-trial diversion programs for nonviolent offenses.

Supports regulating prison commissary and phone call prices.

Wants to invest in reentry programs to reduce recidivism.

Supports gun control and advocates for "safe storage laws and red flag provisions to keep guns away from children and people in crisis."

Supports gun control and "safe storage laws and red flag provisions to keep guns away from children and people in crisis."

Supports mandating public transparency and "meaningful comment periods" for Public Safety Commission (PSC) proceedings.

Supports investing in road designs to enhance community safety and walkability.

- Supports legalizing and regulating marijuana like alcohol, with taxes funding education.
- Supports expanding pre-trial diversion programs for nonviolent offenses.
- Supports regulating prison commissary and phone call prices.
- Opposes the death penalty.
- Wants to invest in reentry programs to reduce recidivism.
- Supports gun control and "safe storage laws and red flag provisions to keep guns away from children and people in crisis."
- Supports mandating public transparency and "meaningful comment periods" for Public Safety Commission (PSC) proceedings.
- Supports investing in road designs to enhance community safety and walkability.

Public Safety

Supports expanding access to pre-K programs.

Supports fully funding the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula.

Wants to "commission a modern cost study to determine what schools actually need."

Wants to increase teacher pay and lessen administrative tasks to improve teacher retention.

Opposes diverting public education funds to private school vouchers.

Supports restoring criminal liability protections for librarians targeted by book ban legislation.

Supports creating a universal childcare trust fund using state budget surpluses.

Supports investing in childcare worker pay and training.

- Supports expanding access to pre-K programs.
- Supports fully funding the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula.
- Wants to "commission a modern cost study to determine what schools actually need."
- Wants to increase teacher pay and lessen administrative tasks to improve teacher retention.
- Opposes diverting public education funds to private school vouchers.
- Supports restoring criminal liability protections for librarians targeted by book ban legislation.
- Supports creating a universal childcare trust fund using state budget surpluses.
- Supports investing in childcare worker pay and training.

Education

Ray Smith

Supports equal application of environmental protections to rural communities.

- Your state senator represents the interests of your district in the Georgia State Senate.
- Your state senator can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws after going through the legislative process. 
- State Senators are involved in approving some appointments by the Governor.
- The State Senate, along with the State House of Representatives, makes up our state lawmaking body: the Georgia General Assembly.
- There are 56 Georgia senators, each representing a single district.
- State Senators are elected to two-year terms. They are paid a yearly salary of $17,342.