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With 22 months until the midterm elections, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., a swing-state incumbent, has declined to run for a second term, marking another open seat that Democrats must defend.
“I have decided not to run for reelection to the United States Senate in 2026,” Smith said in a video posted to X Thursday morning. “I’m ready to spend more time with my family.”
In 2018, Smith was appointed U.S. Senator to replace former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who resigned following an alleged sexual misconduct incident, Fox News reported. She later won reelection to a full term in 2020.
With Smith’s retirement, Republicans have the opportunity to put the state in play, or even flip it into their control. During an exclusive interview with Fox News, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair told the outlet that the state was “in play,” and that the party would “play to win.”
Despite Minnesota’s blue leanings, the state has seemingly been contested by Republicans, especially President Donald Trump, during the previous elections. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly carried Minnesota by 45,000 votes (1.5 percent), and Joe Biden expanded the margin to a 233,000 vote margin (7.12 percent) four years later.
Interestingly, Kamala Harris selected the state’s governor Tim Walz as her running mate in 2024. However, she narrowly won the state by roughly 138,000 votes (4.3 percent) with the governor’s presence on her ticket.
Walz is supposedly considering running for the open seat, the Associated Press reported.
As Republicans attempt to expand their majority, currently holding 53 Senate seats, Democrats now have two open seats to defend. With Minnesota, Michigan will also have another open seat following Sen. Gary Peters’ announcement that he would forgo running for a third term, Fox News reported.
Democrats may struggle with Michigan’s open seat, especially since President Trump carried the state in 2024. The president further carried Georgia in 2024—another state with a vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for reelection in the upcoming cycle.
