Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (right) is expected to appoint Lt. Gov. Tina Smith (left) to fill Sen. Al Franken's seat. Photo: Jim Mone / AP
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton will announce Wednesday that he is appointing Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to fill Sen. Al Franken's seat until the November 2018 midterm elections, Democratic sources told AP. Smith plans to officially run for the seat in 2018 as well. The announcement is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Why it's not surprising: Smith, who served as Dayton's chief of staff prior to becoming his running mate in 2014, was the likely frontrunner after Sen. Franken resigned last week over allegations of sexual misconduct.