Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, announced Wednesday he will not run for the state's open Senate seat in 2026.
Walz, who was Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential election, will consider running for a third term as governor instead.
"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.
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., is retiring after first being appointed to the seat in 2018. While Minnesota typically leans Democrat, Harris won the state by only four points in 2024.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, State Attorney General Keith Ellison, Democrat Reps. Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar have expressed interest in running for the Democrat nomination. Royce White, who briefly played in the NBA and ran for Senate in 2024, former sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya and state Senator Julia Coleman have expressed interest in running for the Republican nomination.
No Republican has come forward to run for governor. A Republican has not won statewide in Minnesota since 2006.
The non-partisan Cook Political Report, an election handicapper, lists the senate race as "Lean Democrat."
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