Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith ruled out a run for reelection in 2026 on Thursday, opening up a key Democratic seat during an election cycle in which the party is desperately hoping to make up lost

Sen. Tina Smith, who has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate since 2018, won’t try for another six-year term next year. An open seat could set off a scramble in both parties ahead of the midterm election.

Republican Royce White announced on X his intentions to run for the seat after he lost to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., this past November. Klobuchar won reelection by 16 points against White, but that's a lower victory margin than Klobuchar previously received. She had a 24-point win in 2016.