Should Tim Walz Run For Minnesota's Open Senate Seat?
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) is considering running for the US Senate next year after Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that she would be retiring.
Minnesota hasn’t had a Republican US Senator since Norm Coleman lost to Al Franken in 2008. The Republican Party at the state level in Minnesota is not in good shape, and it is possible that the 2026 Democratic Senate primary will likely determine who will be the state’s next senator.
Enter Gov. and recent Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz, who is reportedly considering a run for the Senate seat.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is considering a run for Senate next year, according to a person close to the governor who was granted anonymity to describe internal deliberations.
His consideration of the seat comes after Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced her retirement from the blue-leaning battleground on Thursday. Walz, the former vice presidential nominee, could also run for reelection as governor in 2026.
There is going to be stiff competition for the Democratic nomination. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Angie Craig are also considering bids. AG Keith Ellison could run, and of course, there is Franken who could try to make a comeback and get his old seat back.
The question is, should Tim Walz take a run at the Senate seat?
There is no doubt that Walz would be an excellent senator for the state of Minnesota, but Minnesota Democrats have a lot of options, so Walz would have to work through a potentially daunting primary to get the nomination.
The other question is should Walz be seeking another job so soon after running for vice president?
Republicans in the state say that they intend to compete for the seat, but Republicans in California also compete for Senate seats, and they don’t win.
Gov. Walz might be better off running for reelection and weighing his options later.
US Senate seats don’t come open often, but Minnesota is lucky to have a lot of good options to pick their Senate candidate from.
What do you think? Should Tim Walz run for Senate? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
As a former Minnesotan, I am happy to hear Tim Walz may run for Senate. He is one of the top governors in the U.S., and Minnesota is the most progressive state in the Middle West and ranks very high in the nation. Walz has instituted free breakfast and lunches for all students in MN, regardless of income, because he knows how kids from low-income homes feel negatively "spotted out" when they are the only ones to benefit. He is also a no-frills, honest broker and fair politician. I think he would add an important voice to the Senate and be in league with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. He walks his talk!
He should. And assuming there is another presidential election, he should run for that as well