Senator Debbie Smith of Sparks has died, just one year after doctors started treating her for a malignant brain tumor. She was 60 years old. Smith was first elected to the state Assembly in 2000 and won a seat in the Senate in 2012. Governor Brian Sandoval released a statement following her death, Sunday. Sandoval said, “Senator Debbie Smith was an extraordinary public servant whose record of accomplishments and presence in the Nevada Legislature will remain unmatched in the years ahead.”