Minnesota lieutenant governor to replace Franken

Minnesota’s governor on Wednesday tapped Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, a former executive with abortion giant Planned Parenthood, to replace Sen. Al Franken until a special election can be held next November, keeping the seat in Democratic hands. Smith is expected to run in that election to serve out the remainder of Franken’s term through the end of 2020. Franken reluctantly announced his resignation last week amid accusations of sexual misconduct from a growing list of women. Gov. Mark Dayton’s announcement means Minnesota will have two female U.S. senators for the first time in its history. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is also a Democrat. Dayton picked Smith, 59, as his running mate in 2014, and she took office in 2015. Smith previously served as Dayton’s chief of staff. Before entering politics, she worked as vice president for the regional Planned Parenthood operation that covers Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Franken was the third lawmaker to resign amid ethics probes this month. Smith’s appointment does not affect the Republicans’ slim majority in the Senate, and she’s expected to vote similar to Franken’s record. It’s not clear when Smith will start work in Washington. Franken has not said when his last day will be—only that he will step down in the “coming weeks.”