Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said he will appoint Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Democrat Al Franken when he formally resigns amid sexual harassment allegations.
Smith is "extremely intelligent, quick to learn, yet always open to hearing others’ views," the Democratic governor said Wednesday. The appointment will keep the seat in the Democratic column through a special election in November 2018. Smith said she expects to take office in early January and that she’ll run to serve the rest of Franken’s term through January 2021.
