 She made "The Herald" Scottish Politician of the Year shortlist for 'The One to Watch' in 2007.Smith acted as campaign manager for Murdo Fraser in his leadership election campaign in 2011.She was first elected to the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region in 2007 and re-elected in 2011 and 2016, having earlier stood unsuccessfully for the Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 2001 UK general election in the Perth constituency, where she missed out to the SNP by just 48 votes.