Sen. Tina Smith has narrowly won her reelection bid against opponent Jason Lewis, securing her office for six years.
Smith beat Lewis by about 6 percentage points, winning the state with 49.4% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. She won the 2018 special election to take over the remainder of Al Franken’s term, and previously served as Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor for three years before her time in the Senate.
“I am honored, and grateful, that you have re-elected me to serve you in Washington,” Smith addressed Minnesota in an email statement following her win’s confirmation. “And every week, I will go to work thinking about you, and working for you.”
While Smith has been heavily critical of Lewis, stating that he stands for “chaos” and “hatred” – and similarly criticizing President Trump – she expressed the desire for unity in her statement and offered him best wishes.
“To all the Minnesotans who voted for Mr. Lewis, I want you to know that I am your Senator also,” Smith said.
Smith and Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was also victorious in her reelection bid, made an appearance on the University of Minnesota campus to rally young voters to vote on Tuesday. Last year, Smith introduced a set of bills aimed at improving financial transparency for students and families paying for college.
“The truth is, most issues that families face aren’t political, they are about your lives, your jobs, your family’s well-being,” Smith said in her statement. “I won’t forget that.”
Beth-Ann Bloom
Nov 4, 2020 at 2:50 am
Lucky Minnesotans to continue to be represented by such a smart, hard-working woman