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Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced Thursday she won't question re-election successful 2026, forcing the Democratic Party to support different unfastened spot successful adjacent year's midterm and making much hard their extremity of regaining the Senate majority.
"I’ve decided not to tally for re-election to the Senate successful 2026," Smith said successful a societal media post. "This occupation has been the grant of a lifetime. For the remainder of my term, I’ll enactment arsenic hard arsenic I tin for Minnesotans and our country. Thank you truthful much, Minnesota."
Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 to win erstwhile Sen. Al Franken aft his resignation implicit intersexual misconduct allegations. She won a peculiar predetermination aboriginal that twelvemonth to service retired Franken's word and was re-elected successful 2020 to a afloat six-year term.
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Senate Republicans vowed to effort and flip Smith's spot successful blue-leaning Minnesota.
"Minnesota is successful play, and we play to win. Minnesotans merit a legislator who volition combat for little taxes, economical accidental and safer communities," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said successful a connection to Fox News.
But the Senate Democrats' run limb rapidly pledged to support the spot successful enactment hands.
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"No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate contention successful implicit 20 years, and Democrats volition proceed to clasp this spot successful 2026," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein emphasized successful a connection to Fox News.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the apical Democrat successful the chamber, praised Smith arsenic "a singular legislator — smart, compassionate, and tireless successful her committedness to Minnesota and the country."
"While I volition profoundly miss her enactment and relationship successful the Senate, I person nary uncertainty that her bequest of work volition proceed to inspire. We person a beardown seat successful Minnesota, and I’m assured that we’ll support her spot blue," Schumer predicted.
Smith became the 2nd Democrat successful the Senate to denote she would forgo moving for re-election successful the midterms, pursuing Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, a cardinal Midwestern battleground state.
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Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable representation successful the 2024 rhythm arsenic they flipped 4 seats from bluish to reddish and won a 53-47 bulk successful the chamber.
The enactment successful powerfulness - which is intelligibly the Republicans close present - traditionally faces governmental headwinds successful the midterm elections. And portion an aboriginal work of the 2026 representation shows the GOP volition beryllium forced to play defence successful immoderate states, they'll besides spell connected discourtesy successful others.
Besides the unfastened spot successful Michigan, the GOP volition people first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff successful battleground Georgia and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen successful plaything authorities New Hampshire.
Now the Democrats volition person to wage attraction to Minnesota, which the Cook Report, a apical nonpartisan governmental handicapper, this week rated arsenic "Likely Democrat," arsenic it unveiled its archetypal work connected the conflict for the Senate bulk successful the 2026 cycle.
However, Democrats purpose to spell connected discourtesy successful blue-leaning Maine, wherever GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, arsenic good arsenic successful battleground North Carolina, wherever Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is besides up successful 2026.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served arsenic Vice President Kamala Harris' moving mate connected the Democrats' 2024 nationalist ticket, took to societal media soon aft Smith's news.
"Tina has ever done the enactment to amended people’s lives: lowering the terms of insulin, improving entree to intelligence wellness services, passing historical clime legislation, and our party’s champion for reproductive freedom. Minnesotans volition miss having her successful the Senate," Walz wrote.
There is speculation Walz, who is eligible to tally for re-election successful 2026 for a 3rd four-year word arsenic Minnesota governor, whitethorn present person an involvement successful his state's unfastened Senate seat.
Smith, successful a video announcement she posted connected societal media, noted that Democrats "have a heavy seat of governmental endowment successful Minnesota. A radical of leaders that are much than acceptable to prime up the enactment and transportation it forward. And I'm excited to marque country for them to determination forward."
Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan moved toward launching a campaign, saying successful a societal media post, "I emotion Minnesota, and my volition is to tally for United States Senate and proceed to service the radical of this state. I’ll marque a ceremonial announcement aboriginal this month."
There's besides speculation that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a subordinate of the alleged Squad, whitethorn marque a determination to tally for the Senate.
Fox News' Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report
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