Posted on 02/13/2025 8:16:41 AM PST by CFW
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith announced Thursday she will retire after next year, opting against a 2026 bid for another six-year term and putting a Democratic-held seat in play in an increasingly competitive Upper Midwest.
The decision comes after Smith had been conveying her plan to run again for a seat she has held since 2018. She has won two prior Senate elections, including a 5-percentage-point victory when last on the ballot in 2020. She had more than $700,000 in her campaign account to start the year.
"I have loved my job as United States Senator, and also, after 20 years of hard and rewarding work in the public sector, I'm ready to spend more time with my family," Smith said in a video announcing her decision. Smith added, "This decision is not political, it is entirely personal, but it's not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership right now, maybe more than ever."
She said she would put her all into the final two years of the term and expressed confidence that a fellow Democrat from a "deep bench of political talent" in Minnesota would take her place after the next election.
(Excerpt) Read more at mprnews.org ...
Gary Peters of Michigan will NOT be running for re-election in 2026.
These are two relatively safe seats for an incumbent Democrat, at least historically.
The fact they’re not running means the grift is really up in Washington DC.
That and the fact that the Democrat brand is SO damaged that it’s going to be damn near impossible for statewide elections in these upcoming midterms.
The fact that neither one of those clowns want any part of the upcoming contests is very telling.
Grift over? Campaign support from USAID and others via the NGOs not forthcoming? Choices choices...
bttt
The open MI seat clearly is a chance for a pickup, especially if the Democrats are stupid enough to run Buttigieg for it, like some are advocating.
Dems try to carpet bag him into that seat, Republicans will handily win that seat.
MN, I’d love to see GOP pick up that seat, maybe all the corruption and graft being exposed will move that state right.. but likely that seat will stay Dem.
USAID money not there any more for the rats
IIRC, that was Al Franken’s seat back in the day.
Excellent news. Dem candidates starting to realize the gravy train is coming to a stop and they will have to work to receive campaign donations. I suspect many more Dems will prefer to opt out for the 2026 election rather than play on a level field.
Who knows the landscape of available Republicans? I love MN but the leftist tradition there is so sad.
I haven’t seen them run a strong Republican candidate for any office in Minnesota for years. This might be the chance to change that.
I wonder if Georgia is a potential pickup.
Agreed. Smith very recently hinted she'd be re-upping....and then came Elon Musk. BAM ! Under the table financing and creditability ....GONE. ...better rethink this....
DOGE does not bode well for D incumbents..nor for a few Rs, as well
Yes, I would say GA is just as much in play as NC.
The political prognosticators have ME, GA, NC and MI as the TOSS UPS for the Senate race.
I would say, basically no way Dems are retaking the Senate.
Even if they swept the toss up states, they would only gain 2.
Personally I’d say at this point, odds of GOP gaining a seat aren’t all that much different than DEMS gaining a seat.
MPRnews mentions conservative podcaster Royce White will challenge. He just lost to Klobuchar, but won 1.3M votes to Klobucher’s 1.7...not surprising. There will be others.
State wide FTA: “with races for governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and every legislative seat on the ballot. Both the state House and Senate majorities could come down to a photo finish.”
Musk, DOGE, and common sense could flip Minnesoooocold
Ossof is considered weak, vulnerable....and in this environment ....toast
Odd. Unusual for a Senator to leave a seat before someone beats them in an election...
Run the my pillow guy. He’s upbeat-not depressing like the democrats.
The Democrats have depended on ripping off the federal government to fund their political operations.
It is very hard to predict how far they will fall once their gravy train is over...
“Run the my pillow guy. He’s upbeat-not depressing like the democrats”.
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Mike Lindell may be insolvent in 2026 after Dominion finishes with him. He’s already been dropped by his attorneys for non-payment and sold off warehouses just to stay barely afloat.
My initial though in MN was to bring back Tim Pawlenty, who has actually won statewide before.
In GA, Brian Kemp should have no problem sending Osoff out to pasture. There is no reason for GA to be represented by two leftist Democrats in the U.S. senate.
Maybe he’ll give it another shot.
DOGE coming rats are scrambling
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