This morning, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced she will not be running for reelection in 2026. She made the announcement by way of a video posted on X. "This decision is not political, it is entirely personal," she said.
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
Sen. Smith is only 66 years old which makes her a young whippersnapper compared to many of the fossils in the Senate. She was appointed to the seat in 2017:
Smith, 66, was first appointed to the Senate in 2017 to fill the vacancy left by then-Democratic Sen. Al Franken's resignation in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. Smith won a special election the following year and then another election in 2020 to serve a full six year term.
She has been a longtime fixture in Minnesota politics since well before she joined the Senate, serving as the state's lieutenant governor and, before that, as a top aide to key Democratic politicians.
Sen. Smith is now the 2nd Democratic Senator to announce they will not run for reelection in 2026. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan made the same announcement a couple weeks ago. Some see this pair of unexpected announcements as a sign that Democrats don't see a lot of hope for change in their own near-future.
Gary Peters and Tina Smith were not anticipated retirements
— Jesse Hunt (@JJHunt10) February 13, 2025
Clearly there’s internal concern among elected Dems that the rebuilding of their party is going to take a long time
Even post-2008 the GOP wasn’t this lost https://t.co/w2ULhr2lGv
Sen. Smith was, as my colleague David Strom pointed out to me, a VP at Planned Parenthood 20 years ago and abortion rights has always been central to her politics.
I’m proud of my work at Planned Parenthood, where I saw firsthand the opportunity that comes with access to affordable reproductive care. I've been working alongside leaders like @CecileRichards for years, so you can count on me to fight for reproductive freedom in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/34eh7xLN2c
— Tina Smith (@TinaSmithMN) October 15, 2018
Yesterday, Tina Smith stood on the floor of the U.S. Senate to oppose a bill that requires doctors to provide medical care to babies born alive after failed abortions.
— Karin Housley (@KarinHousley) February 27, 2019
Think about that for a second. pic.twitter.com/QyFlf6EAVd
Sen. Amy Klobuchar made mention of Smith's connection to Planned Parenthood in her statement today.
“It’s been a privilege to work with Senator Tina Smith. I’m lucky enough to call her not only a colleague, but a true friend. Tina and I have been friends since long before our time together in the Senate. We have watched each other’s kids grow up and been there for each other through life’s ups and downs. As the only Senator to have worked at Planned Parenthood, Tina quickly became a leader in Washington in the fight to protect women’s rights. Tina also bravely shared her own story as part of her work to strengthen mental health services for all Americans. Her quiet but effective governing style earned her the title the velvet hammer. While Tina and I will continue to work together for the next two years, our friendship and her legacy will last a lifetime.”
Democrats now have two open seats (so far) to defend in the next election which could make the landscape even more challenging. That said, Republicans haven't won a Senate seat in Minnesota in more than 20 years. This should be a safe seat unless Democrats do something crazy.
Something to keep in mind: this should still be a Dem hold unless the DFL runs a radical (which is possible). Smith was never enthusiastic about campaigning for the seat anyway. Schumer made her pledge to run if Walz appointed her to replace Franken. https://t.co/5SC7HYzk2Y
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) February 13, 2025
Republican Royce White, who ran against Sen. Klobuchar in the 2024 election has already said he was aiming to run against Smith in the 2026 race.
White tallied 40% of the vote to 56% for Sen. Amy Klobuchar in Tuesday night’s election. The ex-NBA player has demonstrated a penchant for controversial remarks and questionable campaign spending...
Klobuchar beat White by more than 15 points, but it was the smallest margin she’s received in her four Senate campaigns, and White was also able to flip 29 rural counties that Klobuchar carried in 2018. Klobuchar beat GOP Jim Newberger by more than 24 points during her last run in 2018, Republican Kurt Bills by more than 34 points in 2012 and Republican Mark Kennedy by more than 20 points during her first run in 2006.
So who will be competing for the seat on the Democratic side? There are several people already throwing their hat in the ring.
Scoop - Tim Walz is considering a Senate run & has not ruled it out, according to a person close to the governor.
— Elena Schneider (@ec_schneider) February 13, 2025
Sen. Tina Smith announced that she's retiring.
Deep bench of other MN Dems who could take a look at this race.
Minnesota's lieutenant governor.
I love Minnesota and my intention is to run for U.S. Senate and continue to serve the people of this state. I’ll make a formal announcement later this month. In the meantime, I’m talking with community and family and friends. I will have more to say soon.
— Peggy Flanagan (@peggyflanagan) February 13, 2025
Are you ready for Sen. Ilhan Omar?
Others who could run include Keith Ellison, the state attorney general; Representatives Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison and Ilhan Omar; former Representative Dean Phillips; and Mayor Melvin Carter of St. Paul.
Connor McNutt, a spokesman for Ms. Omar, said she would “be talking with Minnesotans about the future of the Senate seat.”
And don't forget about this guy.
I want to thank Tina Smith for her service and dedication to the people of Minnesota. She’s worked hard to make their lives better at every step of her career and has admirably served them in the U.S. Senate. As DFLers, we are lucky to have a deep bench of people who are guided…
— Al Franken (@alfranken) February 13, 2025
No doubt other names will arise in the next new weeks.
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