smoot was voted by the utah legislature to the united states senate on january 20, 1903, as a republican senator representing the state. smoot was introduced to the united states senate by utah's senior u.s. senator, republican thomas kearns, a catholic who was elected in 1901. kearns, an important mining leader, newspaper owner, banker, and railroad owner, had competed with smoot for election to the senate in 1900. kearns was elected. two years later smoot ran again and won.