Senator Tina Smith posts "Every time I talk about Minnesota I feel incredible pride—in our communities and community leaders, in hard-working families, in farmers and businesses, and in all the women, men, and children who call our great state their home. I’m thinking about all of those people—and the weight of this seat, which carries a long progressive legacy that I intend to uphold—as I begin representing Minnesota in the U.S. Senate.

I want to thank everybody who joined me today, including my husband Archie, our sons Mason and Sam, our daughters-in-law Julia and Emily, and my father Harlan. Thank you to all of my family and friends, to Vice President Walter Mondale for accompanying me to the swearing-in, and to my fellow Senator Amy Klobuchar for her wisdom and leadership. I also want to thank Governor Mark Dayton and everybody who worked alongside me in the Minnesota state government. I wouldn’t be here without all of you.

But most of all I want to thank the people of Minnesota. As Lieutenant Governor, I traveled to every corner of our state to talk with, learn from, and work on behalf of Minnesotans. I’m going to bring that knowledge and expertise to Washington, and in my new job as Senator I promise to advocate—fiercely—for you, your families, and the issues you care about.