Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will not run his state’s open Senate seat in 2026, and is instead considering running for a third term as governor of the blue-leaning battleground.
“He loves his job as Governor and he’s exploring the possibility of another term to continue his work to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids,” Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz, said in a statement.
Walz rose to the national stage when he was selected as former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in last year’s presidential election.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) — who has served in the Senate since 2018 — announced her plans to retire from Congress earlier this month. Walz’s announcement sparks what is likely to be a competitive Democratic primary race for the seat, with multiple state leaders already announcing bids or not ruling out a run, including progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Former NBA basketball player Royce White, a Republican who lost the 2024 Senate race to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (R-Minn.), said last year that he’d run again in 2026.
Walz, who served 12 years in Congress representing a mostly rural southern Minnesota district, rocketed to Democrats’ presidential ticket based on his “Midwestern dad” persona.
No major candidate has yet signaled a run against Walz for governor. He won comfortable victories in 2018 and 2022 general elections.
Read the full article here