Smith, Chris, 1953-

Christopher Henry Smith (born March 4, 1953) is an American politician serving his 21st term as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 4th congressional district. Though it has taken various forms, his district has always been situated in central New Jersey. It currently includes portions of Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. Smith is the dean of New Jersey's congressional delegation. He has focused much of his career on promoting human rights abroad, including authoring the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and several follow-on laws. He has used his leadership positions, including chairmanships, to author multiple pieces of legislation focused on human rights and conduct aggressive oversight of human rights abuses, actions that have earned him scorn from abusing nations. Smith is a member of the Republican party; however prior to 1978 he was a member of the Democratic party.