“We have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota, a group of leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry us forward,” she added.

Smith, age 66, was appointed to the seat following then-Sen. Al Franken’s resignation in 2017. She subsequently won the seat’s 2018 special election and its 2020 election for a full term.

Shortly after Smith’s announcement, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan jumped into the race.

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

Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who ran as vice president on the 2024 Democratic ticket, is also considering entering the Senate race, according toPolitico.

Minnesota is a blue-leaning state, but it’s not the safest place on the map. Republican candidates have won five of 16 Senate races since 1980, and in 2008, Democrat Al Franken eked out a victory, winning by 0.01 percentage points—just 312 votes—over Republican Norm Coleman. And last year, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won the state by just over fourpoints.

The state is a must-win for Democrats in 2026 if they want any shot at retaking the Senate majority. The chamber currently stands at 53 Republicans to 47 Democrats.

Smith is the second Democratic senator to announce they won’t seek reelection, opening up a path for the party to bring in younger, fresher voices.

In January, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan announced he won’t seek reelection in 2026, after serving two terms. This means that 2026 will be the second election cycle in a row where Democrats must defend an open Senate seat in Michigan, a state Trump took in 2024. Last year, Democrat Elissa Slotkin won her Senate race by just 0.3 points.

The Cook Political Report, a reliable race-rating outlet, considers Peters' Michigan seat to be a toss-up, along with the seat held by Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia.

As Daily Kos reported in December, winning back the Senate for Democrats is a long, treacherous road. They must not only defend six seats in 2026 and 2028 that were decided by fewer than 5 points, but they must also gain three to four seats to reach the majority in 2028, depending on whether a Democrat or Republican wins the White House that year.

Now, with Smith and Peters set to exit, there will be many opportunities for new leaders with fresh ideas to introduce themselves.