# 2026 United States Senate election in Minnesota

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vte :
The 2026 United States Senate election in Minnesota will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Minnesota, concurrently with other elections to the U.S. Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Tina Smith declined to seek election to a second full term. Smith was elected to her first full term with 48.74% of the vote in 2020 after winning a special election in 2018 to complete the term of former Senator Al Franken who resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.
This will be the first U.S. Senate election in Minnesota without an incumbent since 2006.

## Background

Minnesota is considered to be a slightly to moderately blue state at the federal and state levels. Kamala Harris won the state by four percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, while the last time a statewide race was won by a Republican was in 2006, when Republican Tim Pawlenty narrowly defeated DFL candidate Mike Hatch. However, elections are generally close in the state, typically decided by single-digit margins. The most recent Senate election, in 2024, saw DFL incumbent Amy Klobuchar defeat Republican Royce White by nearly 16 points. The most recent election for this seat, held in 2020, saw incumbent Democrat Tina Smith win her first full term in the Senate by five points over Republican Jason Lewis. Smith had originally been nominated by Governor Mark Dayton to take the vacant seat following the resignation of incumbent Al Franken; she had been Dayton's lieutenant governor. Smith won the special election to serve the balance of Franken's term in 2018.
Despite the competitive nature, Democrats have had considerably more success in the state in recent years. Democrats control all statewide offices, both U.S. Senate seats and the Minnesota Senate, while the Minnesota House of Representatives and the U.S. House delegation are both evenly split.
On February 13, 2025, Smith announced that she would not run for a second full term as senator. That same day, DFL Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and Republican former basketball player and nominee for senate in 2024 Royce White both announced their campaigns.

## Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota (2019–present)
* Melisa López Franzen, former minority leader of the Minnesota Senate (2021–2023) from the 49th district (2013–2023)

#### Publicly expressed interest

* Angie Craig, U.S. representative for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district (2019–present)
* Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General (2019–present) and former U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district (2007–2019)
* Melissa Hortman, minority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives (2017–2019, 2025–present) from district 34B (2005–present)
* Ilhan Omar, U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district (2019–present)

#### Potential

* Jacob Frey, mayor of Minneapolis (2018–present)
* Betty McCollum, U.S. representative for Minnesota's 4th congressional district (2001–present)
* Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State (2015–present)
* David Wellstone, former member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Board of Directors and son of former U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone

#### Declined

* Melvin Carter, mayor of Saint Paul (2017–present) (running for re-election)
* Al Franken, former U.S. senator (2009–2018)
* Andrew Luger, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota (2014–2017, 2022–2025)
* Kelly Morrison, U.S. representative for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district (2025–present)
* Dean Phillips, former U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 3rd congressional district (2019–2025) and candidate for president in 2024 (endorsed Craig)
* Tina Smith, incumbent U.S. senator
* Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota (2019–present) and nominee for vice president in 2024

### Endorsements
#### U.S. Representatives

* Dean Phillips, former U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 3rd congressional district (2019–2025) and candidate for president in 2024

#### Statewide officials

* Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota (2019–present) and nominee for vice president in 2024

### Polling
#### Angie Craig vs. Peggy Flanagan

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Angie Craig | Peggy Flanagan | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | February 14–15, 2025 | 668 (LV) | – | 22% | 52% | 27% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Adam Schwarze, former Navy SEAL
* Royce White, former NBA player and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2024

#### Publicly expressed interest

* Julia Coleman, state senator from the 48th district (2021–present) and daughter-in-law of former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman
* Kristin Robbins, state representative from district 37A (2019–present)
* Michele Tafoya, political consultant and former TV sports broadcaster

#### Potential

* Liz Collin, journalist
* Karin Housley, state senator from the 33rd district (2013–present) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018
* Kendall Qualls, healthcare technology executive, nominee for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district in 2020, and candidate for governor in 2022
* Ryan Wilson, attorney and nominee for state auditor in 2022

#### Declined

* Lisa Demuth, speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives (2025–present) from district 13A (2019–present)
* Zach Duckworth, state senator from the 57th district (2021–present)
* Tom Emmer, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 6th congressional district (2015–present) and nominee for governor in 2010
* Chris Madel, attorney who represented Ryan Londregan
* Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota (2003–2011) and candidate for president in 2012
* Pete Stauber, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 8th congressional district (2019–present)

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Inside Elections | Battleground | February 13, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report | Lean D | February 13, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D | February 13, 2025 |