ST. PAUL, Minn. — The U.S. Senate race from Minnesota will have incumbent Tina Smith, a Democrat, against ex-Congressman Jason Lewis, a Republican and a strident Trump supporter. Smith won the Democratic primary with 206,000 votes. Four other Republican candidates together marshaled only 31,000 votes. Smith is serving out the term of Senator Al Franken, who resigned. She won the seat in a special election in 2018. Smith was lieutenant governor under Dayton. In Tuesday’s Republican primary Lewis easily dominated a five-candidate field with 56,000 votes. The other Republicans together garnered 13,000 voters. Lewis, a one-time Cities conservative radio talk-show host, lost his House seat in 2018 after one term. Lewis has attacked Smith as an “extreme liberal” who promoted “lawlessness and destruction” in Minneapolis after the police slaying of George Floyd in May. Lewishas been endorsed by President Trump. In a tweet the day before the primary Trump said, with his typical errant capitalization and gratuitous exclamatory emphasis: “Jason worked with me to save Minneapolis along with your great National Guard after your local political leaders failed to do so. Jason has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Smith: Seeks first whole six-year term
Lewis: Lost House seat in 2018, now for Senate