<p>Minnesota hasn&#8217;t had a Republican senator since Norm Coleman lost his re-election bid in 2008, but Minnesota Republicans might have their best chance since then to win a Senate seat after Democratic Sen. Tina Smith announced on Thursday that she will not run for re-election in 2026.</p>
<p>The GOP is already excited about the opportunity in the blue state. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott told The Daily Wire, &#8220;Minnesota is in play, and we play to win. Minnesotans deserve a Senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity, and safer communities.&#8221;</p>
<p>In her retirement announcement, Smith reassured her constituents that Democrats have a &#8220;deep bench of political talent&#8221; from which her replacement will arise. Smith didn&#8217;t mention any names specifically — possibly out of embarrassment for who&#8217;s actually on that bench — so we compiled a list of potential candidates Democrats have to offer.</p>
<h3>Tim Walz</h3>
<div id="attachment_876775" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-876775" class="wp-image-876775 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167066123-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-876775" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images</p></div>
<p>Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is fresh off running one of the worst presidential campaigns in modern American history alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris. The failed 2024 vice presidential candidate, who had his pants pulled down on national TV by JD Vance during their debate in October, sits at the top of Minnesota&#8217;s &#8220;deep bench&#8221; of potential Senate candidates.</p>
<p>The open Senate seat would give 60-year-old Walz a chance to stay relevant on a national level, a development that could push Democrats&#8217; male outreach efforts back decades. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/us/politics/tina-smith-minnesota-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that an aide confirmed Walz is considering a run for Senate while also mulling a third term as governor. As ridiculous as it sounds, if Walz decides against the Senate bid, Democrats might be forced to make an even more bizarre choice.</p>
<h3>Ilhan Omar</h3>
<div id="attachment_876781" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-876781" class="wp-image-876781 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1247561204-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-876781" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images</p></div>
<p>Rep. Ilhan Omar could try to ride her wave of Somali support all the way to the Senate. The openly anti-America and anti-Israel Democrat will be &#8220;talking with Minnesotans about the future of the Senate seat,&#8221; according to her spokesman. This is the same woman who once <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ilhan-omar-controversies-anti-semitism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> the 9/11 terror attacks as a day &#8220;when some people did something,&#8221; and compared the U.S. and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s no denying that an Ilhan Omar Senate bid would gain some traction in Minneapolis and Mogadishu, but her anti-America sentiment probably won&#8217;t play well on the farms in Traverse and Martin counties.</p>
<h3>Keith Ellison</h3>
<div id="attachment_876801" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-876801" class="wp-image-876801 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2167837360-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /><p id="caption-attachment-876801" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</p></div>
<p>Former DNC deputy chair and current Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is another politician being floated to run for Minnesota&#8217;s open Senate seat. Ellison, like Walz and Omar, already has experience in Congress as he served in the House from 2007 to 2019. And like Walz and Omar, Ellison has a great track record of pushing radical leftist policies.</p>
<p>Ellison is probably best known for his <a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/nation-islam-calls-keith-ellison-cowardly-repudiating-louis-farrakhan/">ties to antisemitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan</a>, and prosecuting Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of second- and third-degree murder in the death of George Floyd. The Democrat AG also made headlines for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-news-whitewashes-vile-racist-comments-aimed-at-clarence-thomas-by-black-ag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comparing</a> conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to a &#8220;house slave&#8221; and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-rips-into-democrat-ag-for-appearing-to-celebrate-brazils-x-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrating</a> Brazil&#8217;s crackdown on free speech when the country banned X. What a guy.</p>
<h3>Peggy Flanagan</h3>
<div id="attachment_876825" style="width: 852px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-876825" class="wp-image-876825 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1947479530-842x576.jpg" alt="" width="842" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1947479530-842x576.jpg 842w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1947479530-300x205.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1947479530-768x525.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1947479530-1536x1051.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1947479530-2048x1401.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px" /><p id="caption-attachment-876825" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Natasha Campos/Getty Images for IllumiNative</p></div>
<p>Minnesota Lieutenant Gov. Peggy Flanagan has essentially already thrown her hat in the ring for Senate, <a href="https://x.com/peggyflanagan/status/1890089977637401055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> on X on Thursday, &#8220;I love Minnesota and my intention is to run for U.S. Senate and continue to serve the people of this state.&#8221;</p>
<p>Flanagan is known for her complete support of life-altering gender surgeries on children. In 2023, Flanagan used her position to vouch for gender procedures on minors while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/protect-my-kids-from-ghouls-minnesota-lt-gov-slammed-after-telling-parents-to-support-gender-affirming-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wearing a shirt</a> emblazoned with a dagger next to the phrase &#8220;Protect Trans Kids.&#8221;</p>
<p>A few other Democratic candidates could emerge as the 2026 race heats up, including Reps. Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison, or former Rep. Dean Phillips. But running against the name recognition of politicians like Walz and Omar could prove difficult in a Democratic primary. They are the true stars of the Democrats&#8217; &#8220;deep bench&#8221; in Minnesota.</p>

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Here’s The ‘Deep Bench’ Of Minnesota Democrats Who Could Run For Senate

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Here’s The ‘Deep Bench’ Of Minnesota Democrats Who Could Run For Senate