MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced on Thursday that she will not run for reelection next year, leaving another currently Democrat-held seat open ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Not long after Smith’s declaration, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced her intention to run for the Senate.
“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,” Smith said in a video posted to social media.
In the video, Smith said “this decision is not political, it is entirely personal.”
“After 20 years of hard and rewarding work in the public sector, I’m ready to spend more time with my family,” she added.
Smith said she plans to “use every single day” of her remaining term “working as hard as I can to represent your interests in the United States Senate and make sure that your voices are heard.”
She also said “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.”
Flanagan announced her intentions on social media, saying she’ll make a formal announcement later this month.
Late last month, Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said he wouldn’t seek reelection, opening up a key seat in a battleground state.
Smith’s background, path to Senate
Smith has held the U.S. Senate seat since 2018; she was first appointed to the position after former Sen. Al Franken resigned due to allegations of sexual harassment. She then beat Republican Karin Housley in the special election that November and was reelected in 2020. Before taking on the role of senator, Smith served as the state’s lieutenant governor for Gov. Mark Dayton. She also served as chief of staff for both Dayton and Mayor R.T. Rybak.
Smith was born in New Mexico and moved to Minnesota in 1984. In her pre-politics career, she worked at General Mills and was later an executive at Planned Parenthood.
Smith’s colleagues react
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Smith’s compatriot from Minnesota, released the following statement:
“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.”
Former Sen. Al Franken, whom Smith replaced after his resignation due to allegations of sexual harassment, thanked Smith on social media for her work.
“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,” Franken said. “As DFLers, we are lucky to have a deep bench of people who are guided by Paul Wellstone’s words: we all do better when we all do better. I look forward to supporting the candidate we nominate to work on behalf of Minnesotans in Washington.
Minnesota DFL Party Executive Director Heidi Kraus Kaplan said “no one has fought harder for Minnesotans and our values than Tina Smith.”
“From reproductive freedom to workers’ rights, Tina has been a relentless champion for the DFL principle that we all do better when we all do better,” Kraus Kaplan said. “The DFL will work as tirelessly as Tina does to ensure that her successor shares her commitment to Minnesota values.”
Minnesota state Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy called Smith “a fierce force in the United States Senate.”
“I count on her discerning courage and steadfast partnership in our day-to-day fight for Minnesotans,” Murphy said. “I am happy for Tina, Archie, and their family, and I’m committed to our continued work together.”
This is a developing story, so check back for more.
