EDWARDSVILLE - Roger Smith, the former Chief Deputy Coroner in Madison County, today announced his decision to seek the Republican party’s nomination for Coroner in 2024.
Smith worked for the Coroner’s office for 32 years before retiring in 2021. He was the Chief Deputy Coroner for the last 11 years of that term.
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“I consider the position of Coroner to be a calling not a job,” stated Smith. “It is about earnestly seeking the facts surrounding an individual’s death and assuring they were not harmed by another. It is about helping families and loved ones find their way during the worst moments of their lives. I commit to serving as Coroner with the honor, dignity, and respect the citizens and taxpayers of Madison County deserve.”
Smith promises, if elected, to suspend collecting his IMRF pension and will decline to participate in the pension system as the elected Coroner. “I am willing to forego those payments because it’s the right thing to do,” stated Smith. “I respect the taxpayers too much to ask them to pay me twice for the privilege of serving in this office.”
Since retiring, Smith has maintained his national death investigator certification and uses his experience to train other coroner personnel for the Illinois Coroner Training Board. He also serves as a consultant to both the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System and the Statewide Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System.
Smith is a lifelong resident of Madison County and was born and raised in Granite City. He resides in rural Madison County with his wife of 27 years, Circuit Judge Amy Maher.
