Smith, Tina

Tina Smith is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota, serving since 2018. As ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee's Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee, she leads the Democratic opposition on issues affecting housing affordability, transit infrastructure, and community development. The subcommittee oversees all federal housing and transit programs, giving Smith significant influence over legislation addressing the nation's housing crisis and transportation needs. Smith brings substantial expertise to this role, having worked in business at General Mills, founded her own company, and served as vice president of external affairs at Planned Parenthood before transitioning to political leadership. She served as Minnesota's 48th Lieutenant Governor from 2015 to 2018, where she was recognized for her high-profile role in legislative negotiations and her focus on rural broadband, transportation infrastructure, and early childhood education. In the Senate, Smith has established a bipartisan legislative record, having passed over 70 bills and provisions into law benefiting working families, farmers, veterans, and tribal communities. Her work on housing issues reflects her deep commitment to affordability; she has championed solutions to lower housing costs and has proposed legislation addressing rural housing programs, predatory financing practices, and expanded transit funding. Smith's collaborative approach and business background position her as an effective advocate for both urban and rural communities facing housing shortages and transportation challenges.