Tina Smith
| Tina Smith | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 48th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2015 |
|
| Governor | Mark Dayton |
| Preceded by | Yvonne Prettner Solon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 4, 1958 Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Archie Smith |
| Children | Sam Mason |
| Alma mater | Stanford University Dartmouth College |
Tina Flint Smith[1] (born March 4, 1958 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) is a Minnesota politician, a former Chief of Staff to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, and the 48th and current Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, since 2015.
Biography
Prior to going to college, Smith worked on the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in political science, and later earned a master's degree in business administration from Dartmouth College.[2]
Smith worked in marketing for General Mills, ran her own marketing firm, and served as a Vice President of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.[3] She served as Chief of Staff for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and as senior advisor and Transition co-chair for Dayton's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Dayton appointed Smith as chief of staff when he took office in 2011.
When Dayton's running mate from 2010, Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon, announced she would not seek re-election, Dayton passed over better-known political officeholders, citing Smith's work on shepherding the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium through the legislature, as well as her work on supporting the Destination Medical Center Project with the Mayo Clinic and the City of Rochester, MN.
Campaign
Smith stepped down as chief of staff to campaign for Lt. Governor. She was nominated by acclamation at the DFL state convention, and she and Dayton faced only token opposition in the gubernatorial primary.
Dayton led in the polls throughout the campaign, and won re-election relatively comfortably, defeating Republican Jeff Johnson by six percentage points.
References
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 2015–present |
Incumbent |
