Minnesota governor names his lieutenant to replace Franken in Senate

Minnesota's governor announced his intention to appoint Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, his former chief of staff, to fill the seat expected to be vacated by Sen. Al Franken – and she plans to run for election in November to finish out the term.

"I am resolved to do everything I can to move Minnesota forward," said Smith at a news conference Wednesday announcing the appointment, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

She promised to serve in the progressive tradition of others who have held the seat, including Sens. Paul Wellstone, Eugene McCarthy and Walter Mondale, to make a "better, more inclusive and just future for all of us."

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton said he had made the decision after talking to only one person in Washington not in his state's delegation, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who he said did not suggest a replacement. In a year that has seen a dramatic spike in political engagement among women, Smith would become the 22nd woman to serve in the Senate.

A New Mexico native, graduate of Stanford University and former vice president of a regional Planned Parenthood, Smith has long been a rising star in Minnesota politics.

She served as chief of staff for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Ryback, before managing his failed bid for governor in 2010. She later helped Dayton's successful campaign and became his chief of staff when he won. She was elected lieutenant governor in 2014.

Smith started calling members of Minnesota's congressional delegation on Tuesday to inform them of the governor's decision and her plans, according to an aide familiar with the calls.

Franken, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment, announced last week that he would resign his office "in the coming weeks," but has not set a date. Smith said she expected to take office in "early January."

Schumer declined to answer questions about Franken's departure date or Smith earlier Wednesday morning, saying he would leave it to Dayton to make the announcement. Dayton said he had not received any written notice of Franken's resignation. "Sen Franken is a man of his word," Dayton said. "I fully expect that he will follow through and resign."

Franken has apologized for his behavior, while contesting the particulars of some women's claims against him. "Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others I remember very differently," Franken said, when he announced his resignation, under intense pressure from his Democratic colleagues.

Republicans are likely to mount a serious challenge for Franken's Minnesota Senate seat, which was previously held by Republican Norm Coleman. One possible candidate, floated by Senate Republicans, is former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, who unsuccessfully sought the 2012 GOP nomination for president and now serves as president of the Financial Services Roundtable.

"I'm politically retired and if that changes, you'll be among the first to know," Pawlenty told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Tuesday.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., who was also discussed as a possible replacement for Franken, announced Wednesday that she supported Dayton's decision. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., another lawmaker discussed for the seat, released a statement saying he supported the appointment and would support Smith in her 2018 campaign.