Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced Thursday she won’t seek re-election in 2026, forcing the Democratic Party to defend another open seat in next year’s midterm and making more difficult their goal of regaining the Senate majority.
“I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026,” Smith said in a social media post. “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.”
Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 to succeed former Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations. She won a special election later that year to serve out Franken’s term and was re-elected in 2020 to a full six-year term.
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Senate Republicans vowed to try and flip Smith’s seat in blue-leaning Minnesota.
“Minnesota is in play, and we play to win. Minnesotans deserve a senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity and safer communities,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement to Fox News.
But the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm quickly pledged to keep the seat in party hands.
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“No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate race in over 20 years, and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein emphasized in a statement to Fox News.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, praised Smith as “a remarkable senator — smart, compassionate, and tireless in her commitment to Minnesota and the country.”
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., announced Thursday she won’t run for another term in the 2026 midterm elections. (Getty Images)
“While I will deeply miss her leadership and friendship in the Senate, I have no doubt that her legacy of service will continue to inspire. We have a strong bench in Minnesota, and I’m confident that we’ll keep her seat blue,” Schumer predicted.
Smith became the second Democrat in the Senate to announce she would forgo running for re-election in the midterms, following Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, a key Midwestern battleground state.
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Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and won a 53-47 majority in the chamber. An early read of the 2026 map shows they will continue to play offense in some states but will be forced to play defense in others.
