US Midterms 2026
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Chris Smith, a Republican who has represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district since 1981 and is the dean of the state's congressional delegation, seeks re-election in 2026 against Democrat Rachel Peace, a business owner.
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Chris Smith.
Recent media coverage for Chris Smith.
Bill: The Bright Beginnings Act, introduced by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04).
CorreaTopic: Bipartisan Bright Beginnings Act introduced by U.S. Representatives Lou Correa (D-CA, CA-46) and Chris Smith (R-NJ).
CorreaThe Bright Beginnings Act is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to expand childcare for children with developmental disabilities.
OCEANPORT, NJ: Hillary Herzig is the Republican running against Democrat Frank Pallone this year for U.S. Congress.
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Chris Smith was born on March 4, 1953, in Rahway, New Jersey. He attended St. Mary's High School in Perth Amboy, where he competed as a runner and wrestler and graduated in 1971.
He attended Worcester College in 1974 and completed his degree at Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey, in 1975. Afterward he worked in his family's sporting goods business.
In 1976 he managed Steven Foley's Democratic primary challenge to Senator Harrison A. Williams, and in 1978 he switched to the Republican Party and became executive director of the New Jersey Right to Life Committee.
Smith first ran for Congress in 1978, losing to Democratic incumbent Frank Thompson 61% to 37%. In a 1980 rematch held after Thompson was indicted in the FBI's Abscam probe, Smith won 57% to 41%, and in 1982 he held the seat against former state Senate President Joseph P. Merlino with 52.7%. He has won every election since, most recently taking a twenty-third term in 2024.
In the House, Smith authored the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and was the top House Republican on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe from 1993 to 2019.
He chaired the Veterans' Affairs Committee from January 2001 until the House Republican Caucus removed him in January 2005.
He co-chairs the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus and sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, where he is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. Smith is the dean of New Jersey's congressional delegation.
New Jersey's 4th congressional district covers the upper Jersey Shore across Monmouth and Ocean counties, including Lakewood Township and Toms River, and Chris Smith holds it as the Republican incumbent after being re-elected with 67.4% of the vote in 2024.
Smith was unopposed in the Republican primary, receiving 34,110 votes after real estate agent Rob Canfield withdrew. In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Democrat Rachel Peace, a business owner who won her party's primary with 72.8% over IT professional John Blake.
