sˈɪns bˌiːɪŋ fˈɜːst ᵻlˈɛktᵻd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks, smˈɪθz mˈɑːdɚɹət vˈoʊɾɪŋ ɹˈɛkɚd ænd ɐ stɹˈɔŋ dˌɛməkɹˈæɾɪk tɹˈɛnd ɪnðə pjˈuːɡɪt sˈaʊnd ɹˈiːdʒən tˈɜːnd ðə fˈɔːɹmɚli kəntˈɛnʃəs dˈɪstɹɪkt ˌɪntʊ ɐ fˈɛɹli sˈeɪf dˌɛməkɹˈæɾɪk sˈiːt.
Since being first elected in 1996, Smith's moderate voting record and a strong Democratic trend in the Puget Sound region turned the formerly contentious district into a fairly safe Democratic seat.