Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces She Will Not Seek Reelection in 2026

(KNSI) – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) says she will not seek reelection in 2026.

Smith took to her X account Thursday morning to make the announcement, saying she wanted her constituents to hear the news directly from her.

She says she has loved serving in the Senate, but after 20 years in the public sector, it’s time to spend more time with family, adding the decision is entirely personal, not political.

“When I first came to the Senate, I didn’t have any grandchildren, and now Archie and I have four, and our sons, Sam and Mason and daughters in law, Emily and Julia, are now all living in Minneapolis, so we can be together. My father is going to be turning 95 this summer, and I am blessed to have a large, extended family of siblings and nieces and nephews, and one of my great joys is to know that I have time to spend more time with them, doing sleepovers and helping out from time to time when the kids need me.”

Smith says Minnesota has a “deep bench of political talent” and a group of leaders who are more than ready to pick up the work to carry the state forward at the national level, and she is “excited to make room for them.”

Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced her intention to run, and Republican candidate Royce White, who took on Senator Amy Klobuchar for Senate last election, has already announced his intentions to run again in 2026.

The move may dent Democrats’ hopes of flipping the chamber to deny President Donald Trump the Republican trifecta.

Smith was elected Lieutenant Governor under Governor Mark Dayton in 2014 but was appointed to Senator Al Franken’s seat by Dayton when he resigned amid misconduct allegations in January 2018. She won the seat in a special election in November of 2018.

Senator Smith’s appointment and subsequent reelection marked the first time the State of Minnesota had ever had two female senators serving simultaneously.

In a statement sent to KNSI, Senator Klobuchar said it has 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.”

See her announcement below:

I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026.

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

— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 13, 2025