Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith (D) will not run for reelection in 2026, opening up a seat in the Democratic-leaning state, she announced Thursday.
Smith said in a video posted to the social platform X that she has “loved” her job as a U.S. senator but wants to spend more time with her family, as she has four grandchildren.
“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,” she said in the post. “Thank you so much, Minnesota.”
Smith has served in her Senate seat since 2018 when she was appointed to succeed former Sen. Al Franken (D) following his resignation amid allegations of sexual misconduct. She then won the special election that year to serve for the remainder of the term and was reelected to a full six-year term in her own right in 2020.
Her unexpected announcement makes her the second Senate Democrat to announce their 2026 retirement after Michigan Sen. Gary Peters (D) revealed last month that he wouldn’t seek another term. And it leaves an open field for her successor.
Smith said the country needs “strong, progressive leadership” and the state has a “deep bench of political talent” that is ready to pick up the work. She said she’s eager to make room for them to move up.
While Minnesota has been a key part of the Democratic coalition for decades, having not elected a Republican senator since 2002, the GOP may eye the seat and attempt to flip it. President Trump and other Republicans have at times expressed hope about their future prospects in the state, and then-Vice President Kamala Harris only carried it in November by about 4 points over Trump.
But Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), Minnesota’s other senator, won her race in November by more than 15 points.
Within the Democratic field, the race at least initially seems wide open. One prominent Minnesota Democrat, former Rep. Dean Phillips, who ran for the Democratic nomination for president last year, has said he wouldn’t run for Senate in 2026.
Politico reported that Gov. Tim Walz (D), who served as Harris’s running mate and is in his second term, isn’t ruling out a Senate run.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) posted on X that she loves her state and intends to run for the seat to continue her service of Minnesota. She said she’ll make a formal announcement later this month but is speaking with the community, family and friends in the meantime.
Punchbowl News reported that national and state leaders are encouraging Rep. Angie Craig (D) to run for the seat. Axios reported that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), a member of the progressive “Squad,” isn’t ruling out a run and will be “talking with Minnesotans” about the future of the seat and the state party.
On the Republican side, 2024 GOP nominee Royce White has said he’ll run again in 2026. After Smith’s announcement, White posted “The People Are Coming” and reposted an interview he gave shortly after the election in which he said he would try again in two years.
One of the most prominent Minnesota Republicans appeared to brush off any possible speculation that he would run for the seat. Rep. Tom Emmer (R), the House majority whip, posted on X that he is “focused on doing the job I was elected to do,” serving Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District. He said that is where he’s concentrating his efforts.
Smith said much of her family is living in Minneapolis, allowing them to all be together, and she is grateful to be able to spend time with them. She said her decision is not political and is entirely personal, but she still looks forward to being able to focus on her job as a senator for the next two years.
“I plan to use every single day working as hard as I can to represent your interests in the United States Senate and make sure that your voices are heard,” she said, adding that not having to focus on a reelection campaign will allow her to entirely focus on her job.
Updated at 12:53 p.m. EST
