Six Things You Should Know About U.S. Senator Tina Smith

1. She’s the highest ranking former Planned Parenthood executive in U.S. politics. Senator Smith was Planned Parenthood’s Executive Vice President of External Affairs in Minnesota before serving as Chief of Staff to then-Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. She went on to be Chief of Staff for Governor Mark Dayton and was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2014.

2. Governor Dayton appointed her to the U.S. Senate in December 2017 after Senator Al Franken’s resignation. Tina Smith has long been a champion for women and families. She’s been fighting for Planned Parenthood her whole career—as vice president at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota; as lieutenant governor; and as U.S. senator.

3. In 2016, Congressional Quarterly Roll Call named then-Lieutenant Governor Smith one of the 25 most influential women “who have made change happen” in state politics.

4. When she served as his Chief of Staff, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak gave Smith the nickname “the Velvet Hammer” for her consistent ability to negotiate tough situations with warmth and skill.

5. She’s got this. At the time of her appointment to the Senate, Smith said, “I shouldn’t be underestimated. And if I weren’t confident, I wouldn’t be doing this.” As senator, Smith has fought against proposals to deny organizations like Planned Parenthood Title X funds, opposed a bill introduced in Congress that would ban abortion at 20 weeks, and has stood up against attacks on our health care from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. She has earned a 100 percent score on the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Congressional Scorecard and has been officially endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

6. Her appointment to the U.S. Senate, joining another reproductive rights champion U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, made Minnesota one of six states with two female senators.