Portrait of Mitch Smith

Mitch Smith

I travel regularly to cover stories across the American Midwest, a vast and fascinating region that spans parts of three time zones. My territory includes some of the country’s largest cities and some of its most remote places, presenting a range of topics. I write often about state-level politics, agriculture, property rights, gun violence, natural disasters and policing.

My reporting is focused on Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, but I have covered stories across the United States.

I have spent my life and career in the region that I cover. I joined the Chicago bureau of The Times in 2014 after working at The Chicago Tribune. I grew up in Kansas and have degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern University.

I am committed to journalism that is fair, complete and factual, and that respects the people and places I write about. Like all Times journalists, I work to uphold the standards outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook.

Latest

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    Iowa’s 6-Week Abortion Ban Takes Effect

    The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last month that the Republican-backed law could be enforced. Abortions had been legal in the state up until about 22 weeks.

    By Mitch Smith

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    Milwaukee Is a Beach Town? See How Well You Know the Republicans' Host City.

    The Republican National Convention is heading to Milwaukee, the largest city in the key swing state of Wisconsin. The four-day affair will put the city in an international spotlight just four years after Covid-19 spoiled the Democrats’ plans to hold their own convention in Milwaukee. But how much do you know about the host city? Take our quiz to find out.

    By Mitch Smith and Julie Bosman

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    Protesters March in Milwaukee as Republicans Meet at National Convention

    The demonstration, while spirited, appeared to be far smaller than organizers had expected. Some suggested that the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump may have affected the turnout and mood.

    By Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Robert Chiarito and Dan Simmons

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