Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is considering a run for Senate next year, according to a person close to the governor who was granted anonymity to describe internal deliberations.
His consideration of the seat comes after Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced her retirement from the blue-leaning battleground on Thursday. Walz, the former vice presidential nominee, could also run for reelection as governor in 2026.
Smith, who has served in the Senate since 2018, said in a video announcing her decision that “after 20 years of hard and rewarding work in the public sector, I’m ready to spend more time with my family.”
“We’re more than ready to take up the mantle of this seat, and all that will have to get worked out,” Smith told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday, adding that she wanted to announce her decision with enough time for others in the state to decide whether to run.
Smith is now the second Democratic incumbent to announce they won’t run in 2026, following Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan. Democrats already face a tough map to take control of the chamber, with battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan up this cycle.
Smith was tapped to replace former Sen. Al Franken when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct, and she won reelection in 2020 by 5 points. The field to replace her on both sides of the aisle could be quite deep. Walz’s office declined to comment on the race.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) could also mount a bid. She’s receiving encouragement from the national and Minnesota levels to run, according to a person familiar with the situation. Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat who previously served in the House, is another potential candidate.
Republican Royce White, who just lost the 2024 Senate race by almost 16 points to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, has said he will seek the GOP nomination once again.
Franken, who has repeatedly said he regrets resigning, could also seek a return to his former seat. In 2019 interviews with The New Yorker, multiple Democratic senators said they regretted calling for Franken’s resignation.
In a social media post shortly after Smith’s announcement, Franken thanked her for her service and didn’t directly address his future.
“As DFLers, we are lucky to have a deep bench of people who are guided by Paul Wellstone’s words: we all do better when we all do better,” he said, referencing the legendary Minnesota progressive. “I look forward to supporting the candidate we nominate to work on behalf of Minnesotans in Washington.”
In her video, Smith said her family was the main reason behind not seeking reelection.
“This decision is not political, it’s entirely personal,” Smith continued. “But it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership right now, maybe more than ever.”
Nicholas Wu and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
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