History of Tina Smith in Timeline

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

March 4, 1958: Christine Elizabeth Smith's Birth

On March 4, 1958, Christine Elizabeth Smith (née Flint) was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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.

2016: Named Among Most Influential Women in State Politics

In 2016, Tina Smith was named to Roll Call's "America's Top 25 Most Influential Women in State Politics" list.

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.

March 2018: Letter on Mass Shootings

In March 2018, Tina Smith and nine other senators signed a letter to the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions requesting a hearing on the causes and remedies of mass shootings following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

August 2018: Letter on Migrant Children Reunification

In August 2018, Tina Smith was one of 17 senators to sign a letter demanding that the Trump administration take immediate action in attempting to reunite 539 migrant children with their families, citing each passing day of inaction as intensifying trauma.

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 on LGBTQ Diplomat Visas

In October 2018, Tina Smith and 19 other senators signed a letter urging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to reverse the rolling back of a policy that granted visas to same-sex partners of LGBTQ diplomats who had unions that were not recognized by their home countries.

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.

December 2018: Letter on Affordable Care Act

In December 2018, Tina Smith and 41 other senators signed a letter to Trump administration officials arguing that the administration was improperly using Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to authorize states to increase health care costs for millions of consumers while weakening protections for individuals with preexisting conditions.

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.

2018: Letter to FDA Commissioner

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 efforts of the FDA to address the shutdown's effect on public health and employees while remaining alarmed that the continued shutdown would result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency's employees and the safety and security of the nation's food and medical products.

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.

January 2019: Letter to FDA Commissioner

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 efforts of the FDA to address the shutdown's effect on public health and employees. They expressed alarm that the continued shutdown would result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency's employees and the safety and security of the nation's food and medical products.

February 2019: Letter on Insulin Prices

In February 2019, Tina Smith and ten other senators signed a letter to insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi about their increased insulin prices, which had deprived patients of access to the life-saving medications they need.

February 2019: Voted Against Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

In February 2019, Tina Smith voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, citing concerns about overriding physicians' professional judgment.

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.

April 2019: 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 and expressing disappointment that President Trump's budget slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development.

May 2019: Speech on Depression Experiences

In May 2019, Tina Smith described her experiences with getting help in college and in her early 30s for depression during a speech on the Senate floor.

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 2019: Letter on Protection for Military Families

In July 2019, Tina Smith was one of 22 senators to sign a letter arguing against terminating the protection that prevents deportation of spouses, parents, and children of active-duty service members, as it would cause hardship and negatively affect 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: 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.

2020: 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 as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that President Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.

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.

2021: Criticized Meta's Diem Digital Currency Project

In 2021, Tina Smith and four colleagues wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to criticize the company's Diem digital currency project.

May 2, 2022: Responded to Draft Opinion Overturning Roe v. Wade

On May 2, 2022, Tina Smith responded to a leaked draft opinion indicating the U.S. Supreme Court's intent to strike down Roe v. Wade, tweeting "This is bullshit."

2022: Objected to Bitcoin in Fidelity 401(k)s

In 2022, Tina Smith and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Fidelity Investments CEO Abigail Johnson to object to a plan to allow for the inclusion of Bitcoin in their 401(k)s.

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.

November 2024: Voted to Halt Arms Sales to Israel

In November 2024, Tina Smith was one of 19 senators to vote to halt the United States' arms sales to Israel.

February 13, 2025: Announcement Not to Run for Reelection

On February 13, 2025, Tina Smith announced that she will not run for reelection in 2026.

April 2025: Voted to Cancel Arms Sales to Israel

In April 2025, Tina Smith voted for resolutions to cancel the Trump administration's sales of $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Israel; the proposals were defeated.