Tim Walz won't run for open US Senate seat in Minnesota
WASHINGTON ― Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, the governor Minnesota, has decided he won't run for his state's open U.S. Senate seat in 2026 and is instead looking at seeking a third-term for governor.
Walz had explored a U.S. Senate bid to fill the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., who announced this month that she won't seek a second term for a seat she's held since winning a special election in 2018.
"Governor Walz is not running for the United States Senate," Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said in a statement. "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."
Walz is currently in his second four-year term as governor. The next Minnesota gubernatorial election is also set for 2026. Minnesota does not have term limits for governor.
Minnesota Democratic U.S. Reps. Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar are both considering runs for the open Senate seat. Shortly after Smith went public with her decision, the state's lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, announced she plans to seek the Democratic nomination in the Senate race.
Smith's departure marked a setback for Democrats after another Midwest Democratic senator, Gary Peters of Michigan, also bowed out of seeking reelection in 2026. The moves complicate an already tough climb for Democrats to reclaim control of the Senate.
Walz, 60, was chosen as the 2024 running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris shortly after she emerged last July as the new Democratic presidential nominee following President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the race.
The Harris campaign played up Walz's working-class roots, background in the National Guard and experiences as a school teacher and football coach in the election won by President Donald Trump. Before being elected as Minnesota governor in 2018, Walz served as a Minnesota congressman from 2007 to 2019.
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