Elections could strip Minnesota of a lot of clout in the U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON – If you hear a big whooshing sound in January when the next Congress is sworn in, it’s the noise being made by Minnesota’s sudden loss of clout on Capitol Hill.

Whether Democrats succeed in flipping the U.S. Senate or the GOP hangs on to control of the chamber, the ability of Minnesota’s senators to funnel money to the state and look out for its interests will be diminished.

That’s because power in the Senate is largely determined by seniority, which is going to take a nosedive as far as Minnesota is concerned.

Since Sen. Tina Smith is retiring, if Sen. Amy Klobuchar is elected governor there will be two freshmen senators representing the state instead of a seasoned veteran and another lawmaker who was skillfully climbing the ranks.

One of the newcomers will be whoever wins the Smith’s seat, Read Entire Article