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 an American politician and the junior United States Senator from Minnesota, serving since 2018. Affiliated with the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), a Democratic Party affiliate, she previously worked as a political consultant and businesswoman. Smith's career transitioned from the private sector to public service, culminating in her current role representing Minnesota in the U.S. Senate.

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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

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 last-minute campaign for the United States Senate election in Minnesota after the death of Senator Paul Wellstone.

2002: Managed Walter Mondale's Senate Campaign after Wellstone's Death

In 2002, Tina Smith managed former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale's campaign for the U.S. Senate seat after Paul Wellstone's death.

2003: Vice President at Planned Parenthood

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

2006: Became Chief of Staff to Minneapolis Mayor

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

2006: Left Planned Parenthood

In 2006, Tina Smith left her role as vice president at Planned Parenthood.

2010: Helped Run Mark Dayton's Gubernatorial Campaign

In 2010, Tina Smith helped run Mark Dayton's successful campaign for Governor of Minnesota and became his chief of staff after his victory.

2010: Managed Rybak's Gubernatorial Campaign and Joined Dayton's Campaign

In 2010, Tina Smith managed R.T. Rybak's gubernatorial campaign and later joined Mark Dayton's campaign after Rybak's ended.

January 2011: Appointed as Dayton's Chief of Staff

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

2014: Dayton's Pick for Lieutenant Governor

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

2014: Selected as Dayton's Running Mate

In 2014, Tina Smith was selected by Governor Mark Dayton as his running mate for the gubernatorial election, citing her work on the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium legislation and her support for the Destination Medical Center project.

January 5, 2015: Took Office as Lieutenant Governor

On January 5, 2015, Tina Smith took office as Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.

2015: Became Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

In 2015, Tina Smith served as Minnesota's 48th lieutenant governor, after winning her first election to public office.

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, despite widespread speculation.

December 13, 2017: Dayton Announced Smith as Senate Pick

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

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, with Vice President Mike Pence administering the oath of office.

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 during the first session of the 116th Congress.

August 2018: Won DFL Primary

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

November 2018: Special Election

In November 2018, Democrats in Minnesota united around Tina Smith as the party's candidate in the special election to fill Franken's term.

November 2018: Cosponsored Resolution on Climate Change

In November 2018, Tina Smith and 24 other Democratic senators cosponsored a resolution in response to findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and National Climate Assessment, affirming their support for 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 Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb, approving the FDA's actions to hinder youth access to e-cigarettes and urging further steps to reduce their use.

2018: Appointment as U.S. Senator

In 2018, Tina Smith became the junior United States senator from Minnesota, representing the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL).

2018: Commitment to Lower Healthcare Costs

In 2018, Tina Smith highlighted her Senate record, emphasizing her commitment to fighting pharmaceutical companies to improve lives and lower healthcare costs in Minnesota by increasing access to generic drugs, protecting individuals with pre-existing conditions, and enabling Minnesotans to buy into Medicare.

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

In 2018, Tina Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Al Franken and won the special election later that year.

2018: Fiscal Year

In April 2019, a letter was signed regarding the use of the Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding.

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

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

March 2019: Signed Letter on Dairy Farmers' Challenges

In March 2019, Tina Smith and 37 other senators signed a letter to the US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue warning about the challenges faced by dairy farmers and urging support for the Dairy Margin Coverage program.

April 2019: Signed Letter on Foreign Assistance

In April 2019, Tina Smith and 33 other senators signed a letter to President Donald Trump asserting concerns about his understanding of U.S. foreign assistance and its impact on national security and economic prosperity.

June 2019: Cosponsorship of the Safe Freight Act

In June 2019, Tina Smith and nine other senators cosponsored the Safe Freight Act, a bill that would require freight trains to have one or more certified conductors and a certified engineer on board to collaborate on how to protect the train and people living near the tracks.

June 2019: Sponsorship of the Made in America Act

In June 2019, Tina Smith was one of eight senators to sponsor the Made in America Act, legislation that would designate federal programs that had funded infrastructure projects not currently subject to Buy America standards and mandate that the materials used in these programs be domestically produced.

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: Published Report on Climate Crisis

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 a Full Senate Term

In 2020, Tina Smith was elected to a full term as a U.S. Senator.

January 6, 2021: Participated in Electoral College Vote Certification and Responded to Capitol Attack

On January 6, 2021, Tina Smith participated in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count. After Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol, Smith called them "seditionists", blamed Trump for inciting the attack and supported the certification of the count after the Capitol was secured. She also called for Trump's immediate removal from office.

January 31, 2024: Roasted Dean Phillips at Washington Press Club Dinner

On January 31, 2024, Tina Smith sent a one-minute video to the Washington Press Club Foundation's annual congressional dinner, "roasting" U.S. Representative Dean Phillips over his campaign in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

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 Gaza war.

April 2, 2024: Published Essay on Abortion Law

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.