This morning, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced she will not be running for reelection in 2026. She made the announcement by way of a video posted on X. “This decision is not political, it is entirely personal,” she said.
I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026.
This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country.
Thank you so much, Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/3sWVib8nKJ
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 13, 2025
Sen. Smith is only 66 years old which makes her a young whippersnapper compared to many of the fossils in the Senate. She was appointed to the seat in 2017:
Smith, 66, was first appointed to the Senate in 2017 to fill the vacancy left by then-Democratic Sen. Al Franken’s resignation in the wake of sexual misconduct…
