Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith named to fill Franken seat
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Lt. Gov. Tina Smith on Wednesday to fill fellow Democrat Al Franken’s Senate seat until a special election in November, setting up his longtime and trusted adviser for a potentially bruising 2018 special election.
Smith was widely seen as Dayton’s top choice from the moment Franken announced his resignation last week. But her previous decision not to run for governor had raised questions about her appetite for a closely watched and expensive Senate campaign.
Smith said she is in and fully committed.
“I can tell you I shouldn’t be underestimated and if I weren’t confident I wouldn’t be doing this,” she said.