While the 2026 election is still nearly two years away, some interesting positioning is already going on for the U-S Senate seat currently occupied by DFL Senator Tina Smith.
You’ll remember that Smith announced in recent weeks that she will not seek another term in the senate, and that has set-off a flurry of activity for both Democrats and Republicans.
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan is considered the Democratic front-runner for U-S Senate in 2026 especially with Governor Tim Walz ruling out a run last week.
Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier says Governor Walz may have gotten a little caught off-guard by Lt. Governor Flanagan’s nearly immediate announcement of her intended candidacy for the U-S Senate…
“She announced immediately, got the endorsement of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association. There’s a poll that shows her the favorite for the nomination. All this and then then the governor says ‘we’ll I guess I’m not going to run for Senate.”
Schier says he thinks there’s some distance between the governor and lieutenant governor because Walz has not endorsed Flanagan for Senate. Congresswoman Angie Craig is also thinking about running for Senator Tina Smith’s seat.
Meanwhile, the two most well-known Minnesota Republicans in Congress say they are not running for U-S Senate in 2026. Professor Schier says no GOP candidate has won a statewide race in 18 years, which likely weighs heavily on top Republicans when thinking about a higher post in Washington…
“I think both Representatives (Pete) Stauber and (Tom) Emmer know that and they know it would be very difficult to win statewide in Minnesota. And they have positions of power in the U-S House. So for all those reasons they’re passing it by.”
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth so far has said she’s not interested in running. Former basketball player Royce White, who lost to Sen. Amy Klobuchar last November has said he will seek the Republican Senate nomination, and sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya is also said to be considering a run.
(content: courtesy, in part: MNN)
