Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith won’t seek a second full term next year, opening up a seat in a Democratic-leaning state that Republicans have viewed as a potential target.
“This decision is not political. It is entirely personal,” the Democrat said in a video posted to social media, adding that she wants to spend more time with her family, including her four grandchildren and her father, who will turn 95 this summer. “But it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong, progressive leadership, right now maybe more than ever.”
Smith, 66, is the second Senate Democrat to announce retirement plans this year, following Michigan’s Gary Peters, whose seat is a top target for Republicans. Minnesota would be more of a reach for the GOP, but a strong recruit could make the race more competitive than past Senate contests.
Following Smith’s announcement, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales moved Minnesota to its list of Battleground Senate states for 2026.
Even before then, Democrats already faced a difficult Senate map for 2026. While 22 Republican-held seats will be on the ballot, most are in deep-red states and just two, Maine and North Carolina, are rated as battlegrounds by Inside Elections. Meanwhile, Democrats are defending incumbents in Georgia and New Hampshire, as well as now trying to hold open seats in Michigan and Minnesota.
Republicans haven’t won a Senate election in Minnesota since 2002, but Donald Trump narrowed his loss in last year’s presidential election to 4 points, even with the presence of the state’s governor, Tim Walz, on the Democratic ticket.
“Minnesota is in play, and we play to win,” South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement. “Minnesotans deserve a Senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity, and safer communities.”
Even so, Democrats have won eight straight Senate elections in Minnesota dating back to 2006. The state’s senior senator, Amy Klobuchar, won a fourth term last year by 16 points over Republican Royce White, a former NBA player who was backed by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and ran on an anti-establishment platform. That gives Democrats confidence that they’ll hold Smith’s seat.
“No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate race in over 20 years and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026,” David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
A longtime operative in Democratic-Farmer-Labor politics in Minnesota, Smith began her career in elective office in 2014, winning election as state lieutenant governor on a ticket with Gov. Mark Dayton, a former senator himself. Dayton appointed her to the Senate in 2018 after Al Franken’s abrupt resignation amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Smith won a special election that year by double digits before winning a full term in 2020 by a narrower 5 points over Republican Rep. Jason Lewis. A former Planned Parenthood executive, she became a member of the Senate Democratic whip team and was a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee vice chair for the 2024 cycle.
“Tina quickly became a leader in Washington in the fight to protect women’s rights,” Klobuchar said in a statement Thursday. “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.”
Smith said the state has plenty of potential Democratic candidates to run to succeed her.
“We have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota, a group of leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry us forward, and I’m excited to make room for them to move forward,” Smith said in a social media video announcing her plans.
That Democratic bench could include Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who said on social media Thursday it was her “intention” to run for Senate. Politico reported that Walz, who hasn’t yet said whether he plans to seek a third term as governor, is also considering a Senate bid.
Axios reported that Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Angie Craig are also being encouraged to run.
Rep. Tom Emmer, the No. 3 House Republican, wrote on social media that he was “focused on doing the job I was elected to do” as congressman for Minnesota’s 6th District. “We have a lot of work to do to implement President Trump’s agenda and that’s where I’m concentrating my efforts,” he said.
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