Smith was elected as a Democrat to the 77th Congress, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1942.
After his term in Congress, he became a United States Marshal for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, serving from January 29, 1943, until his resignation on April 30, 1945.
He was then appointed collector of internal revenue at Philadelphia on May 1, 1945, and served in that capacity until 1952.
In December 1963, he was elected to succeed the recently deceased Congressman Bill Green as Chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party.[2] He was also an elected member of the Board of Revision of Taxes of Philadelphia and member of Board of View of Philadelphia.