WASHINGTON – Minnesota’s two-term U.S. Senator Tina Smith plans to leave public life and not seek re-election in 2026. She called her decision “entirely personal.” Smith, age 66, said she wants to spend the future back in Minnesota with family. Smith a Democrat, emphasized that politics was not a factor. Smith said her focus in the coming two years will focus on policy and not the politics of re-election. Addressing Minnesotans in her announcement, she said: “I plan to use every single day working as hard as I can to represent your interest in the United States Senate and make sure that your voices are heard.” In the 3-1/2 minute message she mentioned her four grandchildren and an aging parent with whom she wants to spend more time.
Electoral record
In her early work in public service Smith was a staunch advocate for women’s health and reproductive rights. She served as an executive for Planned Parenthood. Her start in politics was managing campaigns. Eventually she became chief of staff for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, then chief of staff for Governor Mark Dayton. In 2014 she was elected as Dayton’s lieutenant governor. When Senator Al Franken’s resigned from the Senate in 2017, Dayton appointed Smith to fill the vacancy. In the 2018 general election, she defeated Karin Housley, a Republican, to finish out Franken’s term. In 2020, she defeated Republican talk-show host Jason Lewis 49% to 46%. For the 2026 campaign Smith already has amassed a $3.1 million war chest. In 2020 she spent $16.1 million and in 2018 $8.7 million
Congressional record
She has been a leader for racial justice, women’s reproductive rights, and clean energy. She championed establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday, the return of 11,000 acres of land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and a path to citizenship for Minnesota’s Liberian community. Her current Senate committees:
> Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
> Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
> Healthcare, Labor and Pensions.
Smith. Born in New Mexico. A college degree from Stanford University and graduate work in business at Dartmouth. Worked her way through college on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, where she was a labor union member.