2017-18 Special Election for U.S. Senate in Minnesota: on Abortion


Karin Housley: Pro-choice advocates don't represent state's everyday values

After 2 weeks as a U.S. senator, Tina Smith already has some vocal opponents as she begins her campaign for the November election. So far, state Rep. Karin Housley is the only confirmed GOP challenger for Smith's Senate seat. She issued a statement saying that the new senator's career as a longtime Democratic operative "and role as a leader in pushing for abortions as a Planned Parenthood executive gives reason to be concerned as to whether she will stand up for everyday Minnesota values."
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune: 2017-8 Minnesota special election Jan 20, 2018

Tina Smith: Served as a Planned Parenthood executive

After 2 weeks as a U.S. senator, Tina Smith already has some vocal opponents as she begins her campaign for the November election. So far, state Rep. Karin Housley is the only confirmed GOP challenger for Smith's Senate seat. She issued a statement saying that the new senator's career as a longtime Democratic operative "and role as a leader in pushing for abortions as a Planned Parenthood executive gives reason to be concerned as to whether she will stand up for everyday Minnesota values."
Source: Minn. Star-Tribune on 2017-18 Minnesota Special election Jan 20, 2018

Tina Smith: Vice president of Planned Parenthood of MN/SD/ND

Smith didn't follow the typical path to the life of a politician. She grew up in New Mexico, where her parents were involved in state and local politics. Yet Smith decided to go into business; she attended Stanford University and went on to earn an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She landed in Minnesota after taking a marketing job at General Mills and eventually started her own marketing firm.

In the early 1990s, she started volunteering in Minneapolis DFL politics, cutting her teeth on local campaigns. She eventually became vice president of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota before serving four years as Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's chief of staff, leaving that role to manage his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. After Rybak failed to win the DFL endorsement for governor that year, Smith took a brief sabbatical from politics.

Source: MinnPost.com on 2017-18 Minnesota Special Senate Election Feb 2, 2015

  • The above quotations are from 2017-18 Minnesota Special Senate Election.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Abortion.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Al Franken on Abortion.
  • Click here for more quotes by Tina Smith on Abortion.
Candidates and political leaders on Abortion:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 10, 2018