Tina Smith’s decision to retire provokes interest in Senate run from Walz, Flanagan and other Dems

WASHINGTON — Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was the first Democrat to express interest in running for Sen. Tina Smith’s seat after the senator announced Thursday she would not run for reelection, but Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Angie Craig and other Democrats are also eyeing the job.

“I love Minnesota and my intention is to run for U.S. Senate and continue to serve the people of this state,” Flanagan said in a post on X. “I’ll make a formal announcement later this month. In the meantime, I’m talking with community and family and friends. I will have more to say soon.”

Smith, who has served in the Senate since 2018, said the decision was personal, not political. In a video announcing her decision, she said “after 20 years of hard and rewarding work in the public sector, I’m ready to spend more time with my family.”

Speculation that Smith would not run for re-election had ramped up since  Democrats took a drubbing in November’s election. Now the speculation has shifted to who would make a bid for that seat.

A source close to the governor said Walz “has not ruled out” a run for the Senate but is also considering a run for a third term as governor. The source said Walz would not run if Flanagan follows through with a formal bid for Smith’s seat.

Meanwhile, a source familiar with the situation said Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, “has gotten encouragement from state and national Democrats to run.”

And a source close to Secretary of Secretary of State Steve Simon said he “is definitely interested” in throwing his hat in the ring.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue. 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-5th District, and even former Rep. Dean Phillips, who retired from Congress this year after a failed presidential run, are also considered possible candidates.

“Congresswoman Omar will be talking with Minnesotans about the future of the Senate seat and the DFL party in Minnesota,” said her chief of staff, Connor McNutt.

Meanwhile, Al Franken’s name trended on X as fans of the former Senator urged him to throw his hat into the ring. 

And the lure of a rare open Senate seat is likely to attract a number of Republican candidates.

Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections rated the Minnesota Senate seat “Solid Democratic” before Smith’s decision. But not anymore.

“Even though Republicans will likely need a great candidate and good political environment to break a 20-year losing streak, the open seat will be more competitive and take some Democratic resources to hold,” Gonzales said. “We’re changing our rating from Solid Democratic to Battleground.” 

That could entice some high-profile Republicans, including Reps. Peter Stauber, R-8th District, and Tom Emmer, R-6th District, and some GOP members of the state Legislature into taking a look at the race.

“Minnesota is in play, and we play to win,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott.

Stauber, in a emailed statement, said: “Minnesota needs a much better voice in the U.S. Senate seat than they’ve had. Republicans in Minnesota must nominate someone who will fight for all Minnesotans and our way of life, and not promote extreme, socialist ideologies that have devastated Minnesotans and our communities. Let’s raise our expectations!”

But Emmer indicated he’d like to stay where he is. 

“I am focused on doing the job I was elected to do and that is serving the great people of Minnesota’s Sixth District here in Congress,” Emmer said in a statement. “We have a lot of work to do to implement President Trump’s agenda and that’s where I’m concentrating my efforts.”

Smith was tapped to replace Franken when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. She won reelection in 2020 by 5 percentage points.

A former Planned Parenthood executive, Smith is a strong advocate for abortion rights.

“A leading voice in the fight for reproductive freedom, she is one of our nation’s champions for women’s rights and gender equality,” Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4th District, said in a statement. “Tina Smith has also been a tireless advocate for Indian country throughout her career in public service, and it’s been a pleasure to collaborate to address Tribal issues here in Minnesota.” 

In Minnesota political circles, Smith was nicknamed the “velvet hammer” during her time as chief of staff to former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak because she was able to prod warring factions toward agreement without creating rancor.

She is a reliably progressive legislator, which distinguished her from fellow Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who has a more moderate voting record.

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Editor’s note: Ana Radelat wrote this story for MinnPost.com. Radelat is MinnPost’s Washington, D.C., correspondent. 

This article first appeared on MinnPost and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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