G. Murrell Smith, Jr. is an attorney and current Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Smith is a native of Florence, South Carolina and grew up in Sumter. He graduated Wofford College in 1990, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government, before earning his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina. Shortly after, Smith began practicing law in his hometown while simultaneously serving as a part-time public defender from 1994-1998.

In 2000, Smith was elected to represent Sumter County in the South Carolina House of Representatives, which he maintains is the greatest honor of his life. Since 2000, he has served on numerous committees in the House, including Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Smith also served as the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee until 2021 and was on the South Carolina Judicial Merit Selection Commission until 2022.

On April 28, 2022, Smith was unanimously elected to be the 61st Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He began his first full term as Speaker on December 6, 2022. In addition, Smith is a founding partner of Smith Robinson Law Firm and maintains an active, complex litigation practice. Smith resides in his hometown of Sumter with his wife, Macaulay, and his two children, Mary Brown “Bee” and George Murrell III.

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Smith enjoys an active presence in Sumter and is a longtime member of the Sumter Rotary Club and the First Presbyterian Church.