Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Tina Smith

How Tina Smith built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Tina Smith is a U.S. Senator representing Minnesota, serving since 2018. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, she previously worked as a political consultant and businesswoman. Before entering the Senate, she held positions in Minnesota state government, including serving as the 48th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota from 2015 to 2018.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

1984: Moved to Minnesota for Job at General Mills

In 1984, Tina Smith moved to Minnesota to work for General Mills in a marketing job.

1998: Managed Ted Mondale's Campaign for Governor

In 1998, Tina Smith managed Ted Mondale's unsuccessful campaign for governor.

2002: Managed Walter Mondale's Senate Campaign

In 2002, Tina Smith managed Walter Mondale's unsuccessful campaign for the United States Senate election in Minnesota after the death of incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone.

2003: Vice President at Planned Parenthood

From 2003, Tina Smith was a vice president at Planned Parenthood.

2006: Chief of Staff to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak

In 2006, Tina Smith left Planned Parenthood to serve as chief of staff to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

2006: Left Planned Parenthood

In 2006, Tina Smith left her job at Planned Parenthood.

2010: Managed Dayton's Campaign for Governor

In 2010, Tina Smith helped run Mark Dayton's successful campaign for Governor of Minnesota, after which she was named his chief of staff.

2010: Managed Rybak and Dayton's Gubernatorial Campaigns

In 2010, Tina Smith managed R.T. Rybak's gubernatorial campaign and then joined Mark Dayton's campaign, which he won.

January 2011: Appointed Chief of Staff by Governor Dayton

In January 2011, after Mark Dayton took office as Governor of Minnesota, he appointed Tina Smith as his chief of staff.

2014: Selected as Dayton's Running Mate

In 2014, Mark Dayton selected Tina Smith as his running mate in the gubernatorial election.

2014: Named as Dayton's Pick for Lieutenant Governor

In 2014, Tina Smith was named as Mark Dayton's pick for lieutenant governor for his reelection campaign.

January 5, 2015: Took Office as Lieutenant Governor

On January 5, 2015, Tina Smith took office as lieutenant governor of Minnesota.

2015: Served as Lieutenant Governor

From 2015, Tina Smith served as Minnesota's 48th lieutenant governor.

March 2017: Announced She Would Not Run for Governor

In March 2017, Tina Smith announced that she would not run for governor in the 2018 election.

December 13, 2017: Announced as Pick to Fill Senate Seat

On December 13, 2017, Governor Dayton announced Tina Smith as his pick to fill the United States Senate seat held by Al Franken.

December 2017: Resigned as Chair of Destination Medical Center Board

In December 2017, Tina Smith resigned as chair of the Destination Medical Center board.

January 2, 2018: Appointed to U.S. Senate

On January 2, 2018, Tina Smith was appointed to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate.

January 3, 2018: Sworn in as U.S. Senator

On January 3, 2018, Tina Smith was officially sworn in as a U.S. Senator, accompanied by Amy Klobuchar and Walter Mondale.

January 10, 2018: Served on Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

From January 10, 2018, Tina Smith served on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 2018: Letter on Mass Shootings

In March 2018, Tina Smith, along with nine other senators, signed a letter addressed to Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray, who were chair and ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The letter requested that they schedule a hearing to discuss the causes of and potential solutions to mass shootings, particularly in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

August 2018: Letter to Kirstjen Nielsen Demanding Action on Reuniting Migrant Children

In August 2018, Tina Smith was among 17 senators who signed a letter spearheaded by Kamala Harris to US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. The letter demanded immediate action from the Trump administration to reunite 539 migrant children with their families, emphasizing that each day of inaction intensifies trauma caused by the administration to children and families seeking humanitarian protection.

August 2018: Won DFL Primary

In August 2018, Tina Smith won the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party primary with 76% of the vote.

October 2018: Letter to Mike Pompeo Urging Reversal of Policy on LGBTQ Diplomats' Partners

In October 2018, Tina Smith and 19 other senators signed a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The letter urged him to reverse the rolling back of a policy that granted visas to same-sex partners of LGBTQ diplomats whose unions were not recognized by their home countries. They argued that refusing to let LGBTQ diplomats bring their partners to the US would be equivalent to upholding the discriminatory policies of many countries around the world.

November 2018: Special Election

Democrats in the state united around Smith as the party's candidate in the November 2018 special election to fill Al Franken's term.

November 2018: Cosponsored Climate Change Resolution

In November 2018, Tina Smith and 24 other Democratic senators cosponsored a resolution affirming the findings of the IPCC report and National Climate Assessment and supporting action on climate change.

December 2018: Signed Letter on E-Cigarette Use Among Youth

In December 2018, Tina Smith and 20 other senators signed a letter to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, supporting FDA actions to hinder youth access to e-cigarettes.

December 2018: Letter to Trump Administration Officials

In December 2018, Tina Smith, along with 41 other senators, signed a letter to Trump administration officials Alex Azar, Seema Verma, and Steve Mnuchin, arguing against the administration's use of Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act. They contended that it would increase healthcare costs and weaken protections for individuals with preexisting conditions. The senators requested the administration withdraw the policy and re-engage with stakeholders, states, and Congress.

2018: Decision Not to Run for Governor

Despite speculation, Tina Smith announced in March 2017 that she would not run for governor in the 2018 election.

2018: Letter to Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb

During 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown, Smith and 33 other senators signed a letter to Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb recognizing the efforts of the FDA to address the shutdown's effect on public health and employees

2018: Became Senator of Minnesota

In 2018, Tina Smith became the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL).

2018: Appointed to U.S. Senate and Won Special Election

In 2018, Tina Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Al Franken's resignation. She subsequently won the 2018 special election.

2018: Fight pharmaceutical companies to improve people's lives

Leading up to the 2018 elections, Tina Smith highlighted her Senate record, emphasizing her commitment to fighting pharmaceutical companies to improve people's lives. She pledged to continue advocating for lower healthcare and prescription drug costs in Minnesota, by increasing the availability of generic drugs, preventing higher charges for individuals with preexisting conditions, and enabling Minnesotans to access Medicare if dissatisfied with their insurance options. Smith also expressed her support for single-payer healthcare.

January 3, 2019: End of Term on Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

On January 3, 2019, Tina Smith's term on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ended.

January 2019: Letter to Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb

In January 2019, during the United States federal government shutdown, Tina Smith and 33 other senators signed a letter to Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb, recognizing the FDA's efforts to address the shutdown's effect on public health. They expressed alarm that the continued shutdown would have increasingly harmful effects on the agency's employees and the safety and security of the nation's food and medical products.

February 2019: Letter to Insulin Manufacturers

In February 2019, Tina Smith and ten other senators signed a letter to insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi, addressing concerns about increased insulin prices that have deprived patients of access to life-saving medications.

March 2019: Signed Letter Regarding Dairy Farmers

In March 2019, Tina Smith and 37 other senators signed a letter to US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue about the struggles of dairy farmers.

April 2019: Signed Letter Regarding U.S. Foreign Assistance

In April 2019, Tina Smith and 33 other senators signed a letter to President Donald Trump asserting that he had a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance.

April 2019: Bipartisan Letter on Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building Program

In April 2019, Tina Smith and 40 other senators signed a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee, praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program. They expressed disappointment that President Trump's budget had slated the program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development.

June 2019: Cosponsored the Safe Freight Act

In June 2019, Tina Smith and nine other senators cosponsored the Safe Freight Act. This bill would require freight trains to have at least one certified conductor and a certified engineer on board, working together to protect the train and nearby communities. The legislation aimed to correct a Federal Railroad Administration rollback of a proposed rule intended to establish safety standards.

July 2019: Letter Regarding Protection for Families of Active-Duty Service Members

In July 2019, following reports that the Trump administration planned to cease protecting spouses, parents, and children of active-duty service members from deportation, Tina Smith joined 22 senators led by Tammy Duckworth in signing a letter. The letter argued that the protection allowed service members to fight for the United States overseas without worrying about the deportation of their family members. They stated that ending this protection would cause personal hardship for service members and negatively impact their combat performance.

July 2020: Introduced Substance Regulation and Safety Act

In July 2020, Tina Smith introduced the Substance Regulation and Safety Act to legalize cannabis at the federal level and direct federal agencies to develop regulations regarding cannabis.

August 2020: Climate Crisis Committee Report

In August 2020, Tina Smith was a member of the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, which published a report of its findings.

2020: Elected to Full Senate Term

In 2020, Tina Smith was elected to a full six-year Senate term.

2020: Hoped the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4

In April 2019, Smith and 40 other senators expressed their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.

March 2024: Urged Recognition of Palestinian State

In March 2024, Tina Smith urged the Biden administration to recognize a "nonmilitarized" Palestinian state after the end of the war in Gaza.

April 2, 2024: Published Essay in The New York Times

On April 2, 2024, Tina Smith published an essay, "I Hope to Repeal an Arcane Law That Could Be Misused to Ban Abortion Nationwide", in The New York Times.