Val Smith (D)

State Rep. Dist. 3, Pos. No. 2.

Resume: 58, Spokane-area resident since 1951 … Associate degree from Spokane Falls Community College, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Eastern Washington University, 25 years in child welfare business, last 12 years as director of child welfare services for Lutheran Social Services of Washington and Idaho, state board director for Treatment Foster Care Services … Married, with 8 children, six grandchildren.

Finances: Raised about $1,000, and contributed about $4,000 of her own money.

Why she’s running: “The key issue for me is child and family issues. With Lisa Brown and Dennis Dellwo both leaving, they leave a huge gap in experience serving on those committees (in the House.) I want to serve on those committees.”

What she’ll do first: “I’d like to be part of the reorganization of the state’s Division of Child and Family Services.”

, DataTimes MEMO: See related story under the headline: State Legislature - 3rd District