Senator Tina Smith, Democratic from Minnesota

Tina Smith

State of Minnesota

Minnesota Senate Intelligence

Minnesota is a true knife-edge state—just D+1, with Democrats taking 50.5% and a competitiveness score of 99—and Tina Smith has fit it by pairing Twin Cities progressivism with a pragmatic, statewide brand. Her coalition rests on an affluent, highly insured electorate (median income $89,062; uninsured 4.7%) that still expects attention to farm policy, rural health access, and tribal issues. For advocates, this is not a pure ideological market: messages that bridge metro priorities with outstate economic security travel best.

Smith’s retirement turns a relatively stable Democratic seat into a live test of whether Minnesota’s next senator runs as a metro liberal or a broader statewide validator. The primary will reward candidates who can hold the urban-suburban base without hemorrhaging support in agricultural and regional manufacturing communities; the general will punish anything that reads as culturally narrow. Expect the successor to remain center-left, but potentially less institutionally seasoned and more exposed to pressure from both the party’s progressive flank and swing-state moderates.

Senator Tina Smith represents 5,739,445 residents of Minnesota. The state has estimated median household income of $89,062 and unemployment rate of 4.1%.

Economic & Demographic Snapshot

5,739,445Population
↑ 44,153
$89,062Median Incomenat'l $37,585
↑ $4,749
4.1%Unemploymentnat'l 3.5%
↑ 0.1%
5.6%Poverty Ratenat'l 12.4%
↑ 0.1%
72.2%Homeownershipnat'l 65.5%
→ no change
$1,280Median Rentnat'l $1,163
↑ $102
1.8%Public Transitnat'l 5%
→ no change
22.7 minMean Commutenat'l 26.4 min
↓ 0.6 min

Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2017-2021 vs. 2019-2023). All figures are statistical estimates with 90% confidence level.

Minnesota State Demographics

Median Age 38.8 (vs 38.5) · Homeownership 72.2% (vs 65.5%) · Bachelor’s+ 39.4% (vs 33.7%) · Poverty 5.6% (vs 12.4%) · Income $89,062 (vs $37,585)

Age Distribution

Near the national median age (38.8 vs 38.5 nationally). The largest age cohort is 30–39 at 13.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

White residents are the largest group at 77.1%.

* Hispanic includes respondents of any race. Racial categories include both Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals.

Education

39.4% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, above the 33.7% national average.

Income Distribution

Median household income is $89,062, well above the $37,585 national median.

Housing

Homeownership at 72.2% (vs 65.5% nationally). Median rent is $1,280. Median home value is $329,300.

How People Get to Work

68.9% drive alone. Average commute is 22.7 minutes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
Data represents 5-year statistical estimates for increased reliability.

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