Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith stunned the political world on Thursday and announced that she will not seek reelection in 2026.
Smith stated that she has “loved” her role as a U.S. senator but would like to spend more time with her family because she has four grandchildren in a video that was uploaded on the social media site X.
“I wanted you to hear directly from me that I have decided not To run for re-election in the United States Senate In 2026. I’ve loved my job as a United States senator. And also, after 20 years of hard and rewarding work In the public sector, I’m ready to spend more time withmy family. You know when I first came into this Senate I didn’t have any grandchildren And now Archie and I have four Our sons, Sam & Mason And daughters-in-law Emily And Julia are all living in Minneapolis,” Smith began.
“So we can be together. My father is turning 95 this summer And I am blessed to Have a large extended family Of siblings Nieces And nephews One of my great joys Is knowing that To spend more time with them Doing sleepovers And helping out when the kids need me Is not just political; it is entirely personal But it’s not lost on me That our country Needs strong progressive leadership Right now. Maybe more than ever So there are two things On my mind about this. The first Is that I have Two, nearly Two full years left In my Senate term And I plan to use Every single day Working as hard As can To represent your interests At the United States Senate And make sure Your voices,” Smith added.
“Since I don’t have to worry about running an election or a re-election campaign, I can focus entirely on this job right now. Second, 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,” she said.
“At the end of the day, what I’m going to miss most about this job is not the perks or certainly not all the attention; it’s going to be That has been an inspiration to me every single day that I’ve served, so I’m grateful for that, and I’m going to spend the next two years figuring out how. Thank you all so thank,” she concluded.
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In 2020, she defeated Jason Lewis, a former radio DJ who is now a Republican politician, by nearly six points and was re-elected to a full six-year term.
This comes after Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters declared that he will not run for a third term in 2026, opening up a fiercely contested battleground seat.
The 66-year-old’s shocking decision to resign after only two terms is unexpected and presents a challenge for Michigan Democrats at a time of upheaval, as they will probably have to split their strong bench between the 2026 Senate and gubernatorial contests.
“I always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation. I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life,” Peters told The Detroit News in an interview published Tuesday.
“And that goes back to 2008 when I first won that House seat. I thought it would be for a matter of a few terms that I would serve, and then I would go back to private life. I want to be very clear: I’m not retiring. I’m just not running for reelection in the Senate. I hope, God willing, I have a lot more good years ahead,” Peters added.
“After three terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, I believe now is time for me to write a few more paragraphs in my current chapter and then turn over the reins,” Peters said in a YouTube video. “I will therefore not seek reelection in 2026.”
After President Trump won Michigan in the 2024 election, Peters’ choice makes it more difficult for Democrats to retake the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, by forcing them to defend a crucial Senate seat in Michigan without the benefit of an incumbent.
Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. transportation secretary who recently relocated to Michigan, is anticipated to be one of the names most frequently mentioned for the role.
