Tina Smith’s reelection victory with 48.7 percent marked a nation-leading 12th time that Minnesotans elected a U.S. Senator with a plurality of the vote in the direct election era. Smith also became the fourth plurality-winning U.S. Senate nominee in Minnesota in the 21st Century following Mark Dayton in 2000 (48.8 percent), Norm Coleman in 2002 (49.5 percent), and Al Franken in 2008 (42.0 percent). Minnesota also had plurality winners in 1916 (Frank Kellogg), 1922 (Henrik Shipstead), 1924 (Thomas Schall), 1930 (Schall), 1934 (Shipstead), 1936 (Guy Howard, special), 1942 (Joseph Ball), and 1994 (Rod Grams). Nevada ranks second in U.S. Senate plurality winners with nine elections followed by Colorado, Connecticut, and New York with eight and Alaska, California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin with six.

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