US Senate Elections: Tina Smith against Jason Lewis
Colin Hanke ® Staff Writer |
With Election Day in just over a week, Southern Minnesotans are prepared to cast their ballots. There is more than just who will be the next President of the United States on the ballot.
Senator Tina Smith, a member of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor was voted into office after Al Franken’s resignation in the 2018 for special election to fill the remainder of Franken’s term. Smith supports access to abortion, as she served as the Vice President of Planned Parenthood from 2003 to 2006.
Smith has worked to combat global climate change and supports the legalization of marijuana because of how such legislation disproportionately impacts Black Americans. Smith also supports stronger gun control legislation, humane immigration policies, combating the greed of pharmaceutical companies, and expanding the Affordable Care Act.
Chris Russert, President of MNSU’s College Democrats said, “Tina Smith is not someone who is bombastic and plays to the cameras. She just listens and puts in the work that needs to be done for Minnesota. I love her hard work on expanding school lunch programs, standing with immigrants and refugees, such as the Liberians, reproductive justice, and lowering the cost of prescription drug prices.”
Russert also noted, “As far as what I hope to see in November, I hope that Minnesotans recognize Senator Smith’s hard work and re-elect her. We need a dedicated public servant representing us, rather than a talk radio host.”
On the other hand, Jason Lewis, a member of the Republican Party and a former radio talk show host before he entered Congress, is the opposing runner for this election.
In Congress, some of his political positions were that he critiqued the effectiveness of the War on Drugs and authored a bill that worked towards petty drug offenses for youth. Lewis also supported the Republican’s bill to remove the Affordable Care Act and lowering taxes.
A large aspect of Lewis’ campaign is in line with President Trump’s position on restoring law and order, particularly in the Minneapolis area.
“I’m going to make certain that Minneapolis and St. Paul and the suburbs get the resources they need to restore the rule of law,” said Lewis in a video submitted to WCCO.
Lewis also speaks to the importance of lifting the lockdown, arguing that it is based largely on faulty studies and numbers.
In reference to COVID-19 lockdowns, Lewis said that one of the most important things in this campaign is “undoing these Orwellian lockdowns that are bankrupting small mom and pop shops all across our state.”
Photos by Jim Mone/AP Photo and Mansoor Ahmad/The Reportrer.