Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to Fill Franken Seat

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Lt. Gov. Tina Smith on Wednesday to replace Sen. Al Franken until a special election in November, setting up his long-time and trusted adviser for a potentially bruising 2018 election.

Smith was widely seen as Dayton's top choice from the moment Franken announced his resignation last week, and she is expected to run in the November special election to complete Franken's term through 2020.

Smith had previously declined to run for governor, raising questions about whether she would launch a Senate campaign that would be in the national spotlight. But Dayton was under pressure from fellow Democrats in Washington to ensure his pick would use the appointment as a springboard for the November election.

It's not clear when Smith will head to Washington. Franken, who resigned under pressure from his own party after he was accused of improper behavior by at least eight women, announced last Thursday that he would resign "in the coming weeks." His office said Tuesday that he had not yet set a final departure date.

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