Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith wins reelection, defeating Jason Lewis
Smith was appointed to Senate in 2017 after former Democratic Sen. Al Franken resigned
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith on Tuesday won reelection by defeating Republican challenger Jason Lewis, Fox News projects.
With 90% reporting, Smith had 48.81% of the vote, with Lewis at 43.52% -- a win for Democrats in the battleground state, which narrowly voted for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I’m honored to be re-elected as your U.S. Senator," Smith tweeted Tuesday evening. "You showed how we organize, how we talk to voters, how we get out the vote. You made tonight happen. Now, the real work is ahead of us. Let’s keep fighting together. Thank you."
Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2017 after former Democratic Sen. Al Franken resigned while facing a number of sexual misconduct allegations. She formally took office in 2018 before winning a special election to serve the remainder of Franken's term, which ends in January.
Now Smith, who voted to impeach President Trump in January, will serve a full six-year term after defeating Lewis, according to Fox News projections.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lewis, a former radio host, previously served as congressman for the state’s 2nd District in the 115th Congress until Democratic freshman Rep. Angie Craig won his seat in the 2018 election.
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Local polls showed the two candidates virtually tied days before Nov. 3.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Frankly, it's not all that surprising," Lewis told Fox News in an October interview while discussing the results. Referencing other polling, including his campaign's internal numbers, he added that his campaign was “seeing a marked shift in [its] direction and in the president's direction."
Lewis described Minnesota as "ripe for the picking," noting that the president only lost the state to Clinton by 44,000 votes in 2016.
But in the 2020 presidential race, Democratic nominee Joe Biden was projected to defeat President Trump, netting the state's 10 Electoral College votes.
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