Sen. Tina Smith (D) of Minnesota reportedly said Thursday that she will not seek reelection in 2026, creating a vacancy in the Democratic-leaning state.
Smith stated that she has “loved” her role as a U.S. senator but would like to spend more time with her family because she has four grandchildren in a video that was uploaded on the social media site X.
I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026.
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
— 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.” she remarked in a post.
Smith has been a member of the Senate since 2018, when she was chosen to replace former Senator Al Franken (D), who resigned due to sexual misconduct charges.
In 2020, she was reelected to a full six-year term in her own right after winning the special election that year to serve the rest of the term.
After Michigan Senator Gary Peters (D) announced last month that he will not run for reelection, she is the second Senate Democrat to make the surprise news that she will retire in 2026. Additionally, it creates a path for her succession.
The GOP may try to flip the seat, even though Minnesota has been a crucial component of the Democratic coalition for decades and hasn’t elected a Republican senator since 2002.
Vice President Kamala Harris only won the state in November by roughly 4 points over President Trump, and Trump and other Republicans have occasionally voiced optimism about their chances in the future.
However, Minnesota’s other senator, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), won her campaign in November by a margin of over 15 points.
At first glance, the contest appears to be very open within the Democratic field. Former Representative Dean Phillips, a well-known Democrat from Minnesota who was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination last year, has declared that he would not run for the Senate in 2026.
Harris’s running partner, Governor Tim Walz (D), who is in his second term, isn’t ruling out a Senate bid, according to Politico.
In a post on X, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) expressed her love for her state and her intention to run for office in order to continue serving Minnesota.
She stated that she is talking to the community, family, and friends in the interim before making a formal statement later this month.
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