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Minnesota
Senate
MINNESOTA |
Nov. 3,
2020 U.S.
Senate
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Plurality: 168,377 votes (5.24 percentage points). MN
Secretary of State
Notes: Sen. Tina Smith (DFL), elected in a Nov. 6, 2018 special election, won a full term, defeating former U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis (R). Lewis worked as a radio talk show host before being elected to Congress in 2016 representing the 2nd CD; he was defeated in his bid for re-election in 2018. The Aug. 11 primaries were not competitive. Sen. Smith tallied 87.14% of the vote against three candidates, and former Rep. Lewis 78.11% against four candidates. Smith and Lewis engaged in three debates, all held remotely: the Farmfest debate broadcast by WCCO radio on Aug. 4 (1,2); a virtual forum co-hosted by the Duluth News Tribune and the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 18 (>); and the Minnesota Public Radio debate on Oct. 2 (>). Lewis aligned closely with President Trump, for example stating in Oct. 2020, "I'm running with the President and glad to do it. We're joined at the hip." On Oct. 26 Lewis underwent a successful emergency surgery for an internal hernia. After the election Lewis said his campaign "made Democrats desperately fight for Minnesota and we came within 5 points of a major upset with a third of the resources available to our well funded and corporate backed opponent. The simple fact is our efforts allowed for crucial victories elsewhere...against all the predictions from the professional punditry class." According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Smith campaign outspent the Lewis campaign by $15.9 million to $6.7 million and outside spending likewise favored the Democrat by $2.1 million to less than $750,000 (>) . Campaign Managers: Tina Smith Ryan Furlong (Jan. 2019) Deputy campaign manager and director of communications on Smith's 2018 special election campaign. Director of communications to Sec. of State Steve Simon, Jan. 2015-Feb. 2018. Press secretary on Al Franken for Senate, July-Nov. 2014. Communications advisor for the Minnesota DFL, June 2013-July 2014. Director of communications for the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Jan. 2012-June 2013. Deputy press secretary to Gov. Mark Dayton, Jan. 2011-Jan. 2012. Press assistant on Tarryl Clark for Congress, Jan.-Dec. 2010. M.B.A. from University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management; B.A. in journalism from University of Southern California. Jason Lewis Tom Szymanski (Oct. 2019) Campaign manager on U.S. Rep. Tom Faso (NY-19)'s 2018 re-election. Senior role on Kim Guadagno's 2017 campaign for governor. Executive director for the Monmouth County GOP from Nov. 2013. RNC field director in Monmouth County for the 2013 cycle. Graduate of Rowan University, 2012; chairman of New Jersey College Republicans, 2011-12. |
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