Democratic Senator Announces She Is Not Running for Re-election
Minnesota's Democratic Senator, Tina Smith, announced on Thursday that she will not be running for re-election in 2026.
Smith shared her decision in a post on the social media platform X.
“I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the United States Senate in 2026,” she stated.
“This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country. Thank you so much, Minnesota,” she wrote.
I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026.
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 13, 2025
This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country.
Thank you so much, Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/3sWVib8nKJ
The race to succeed Smith is already shaping up, with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan indicating her interest in running for the seat, according to Politico.
Among other potential Democratic candidates, Gov. Tim Walz has been mentioned as a possibility, as he could either seek a third term or vie for the Senate position.
Additionally, Politico speculated that Democratic Reps. Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison, along with Attorney General Keith Ellison, may also enter the race.
Ilhan Omar should be deported, not running for Minnesota Senate.
— The American Girl (@TheAmericanGrl) February 13, 2025
Rep. Ilhan Omar is reportedly considering a campaign, as noted by the Star-Tribune.
A spokesperson for Omar, who has served in Congress since 2018, stated that she “will be talking with Minnesotans about the future of the Senate seat and DFL Party in Minnesota.”
Axios reported that Omar “is receiving messages of encouragement,” citing an unnamed source.
Rep. Ilhan Omar is considering running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota in 2026
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) February 14, 2025
"I would say that our country ought to be more fearful of White men across our country because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country." pic.twitter.com/trf7B1TGDX
On the Republican side, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the GOP’s Senate campaign efforts, suggested that despite Democratic dominance in the past, the seat is not guaranteed to remain in their hands, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“Minnesota is in play, and we play to win,” he said. “Minnesotans deserve a senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity, and safer communities.”
According to Fox News, Smith is the second Democratic senator up for re-election in 2026 to announce their decision not to run.
Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan previously stated that he will not seek another term.
In the 2024 Senate elections, Republicans gained four seats, giving them a 53-47 majority. Fox News predicted that in 2026, the GOP will aim to unseat Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.