WA SENATE: Tiffany Smiley (R)
Growing up on a farm in rural Washington, Tiffany Smiley’s life was like that of so many other children — heading to school each day, playing sports with her friends, and dreaming of one day becoming a nurse so she could help families in her community. She married her high school sweetheart, Scotty Smiley, and achieved her goal of becoming a triage nurse.
In April of 2005, her husband was severely wounded by a suicide bomber, in Iraq, causing him to fall into a coma and permanently lose sight in both of his eyes.
She immediately booked a flight for Walter Reed Medical Center near Washington, D.C, to be by his side.
She pushed aside her professional dreams to focus on nursing her husband back to health, and fighting to ensure that his recovery would not be compromised. She was determined that he would never become just another number in the VA system. To this day, the couple has made fighting to ensure every veteran gets the benefits and care they deserve one of their highest priorities.
Her husband went on to serve as America’s first blind active-duty Army officer, breaking barriers for many who followed along the way. He would also earn his Master’s degree from Duke University and was described by Duke’s Legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski as an American hero.
Smiley and her husband have three young boys. They travel across the country sharing their story to help others discover and harness their power to confront and overcome life’s unexpected challenges.
The biographical information above was sourced from the campaign website; see links above for more information.