Dem Sen. Tina Smith wont seek reelection in 2026, leaving key seat up for grabs
Minnesota Sen.Tina Smith ruled out a run for reelection in 2026 on Thursday, opening up a key Democratic seat during an election cycle in which the party is desperately hoping to make up lost ground.Smith (D-Minn.), 66, underscored that her “decision is not political, it is entirely personal” and that she intends to retire in early 2027 to spend more time with her family.
“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,” she wrote on X.“Thank you so much, Minnesota.”The first-term senator was appointed to succeed former Sen.Al Franken (D-Minn.) in 2017 after the comedian resigned from the Senate due to a sexual misconduct scandal.
Photos had emerged of Franken pretending to grope model-turned-radio host Leeann Tweeden in 2006 while she was asleep.Tweeden had alleged in a blog post that the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian forcibly kissed her during a rehearsal for a skit on a USO tour in the Middle East, leaving her feeling “disgusted and violated.”The scandal emerged in the midst of the MeToo movement and a national reckoning on sexual misconduct and mistreatment of women.Prior to her stint in the Senate, Smith served as the lieutenant governor of Minnesota.
She also previously worked as the vice president of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota.In a video message, Smith explained that she wants to tend to her father, who will turn 95 over the summer, and that both her children and grandchildren moved to Minneapolis.“I plan to use every single day working as hard as I can to represent your interests in the United States Senate and make sure that your voices are heard,” she pledged, contending that not having to worry about reelection will free her up to focus on her Senate duties.Her retirement follows that of Sen.
Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who announced his decision last month, sparking a scram...