Who is running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota? Meet the candidates vying to replace Sen. Tina Smith
Minnesota voters will choose a new U.S. senator in 2026, with Democratic Sen. Tina Smith opting not to seek reelection.
The winner of the race could play a key role in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate. Republicans hold 53 seats, while Democrats hold 45. Two additional seats are held by independents who caucus with Democrats.
While no Republican has won statewide office since 2006, a couple came close in 2022, and the traditionally Democratic state has become increasingly competitive in recent years.
Smith has held the seat since 2018; she was first appointed to the position after former Sen. Al Franken resigned because of allegations of sexual harassment. She then beat Republican Karin Housley in the special election that November and was reelected in 2020.
Who are the candidates running for U.S. Senate representing Minnesota in 2026?
Peggy Flanagan
Peggy Flanagan is the DFL nominee for U.S. Senate. She has served as Minnesota's lieutenant governor since 2019 and is the country's highest-ranking Native woman elected to executive office.
After serving on the Minneapolis Board of Education, Flanagan started working for the progressive group Wellstone Action, training organizers, elected officials and candidates who dream of taking office. She even trained Tim Walz, who before his political career was a high school social studies teacher.
When Walz made his first gubernatorial run in 2018, he tapped Flanagan as his running mate.
Flanagan says she's running to help people "afford the lives they want to live," adding that the government can improve people's lives and that her career in public service has been focused on creating opportunities for others.
Some of her priorities include ending tax cuts for billionaires, reinstating the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, improving the U.S. immigration system and rebuilding federal agencies to protect taxpayer dollars from fraud.
Marisa Simonetti
Marisa Simonetti is running for U.S. Senate as an independent. According to Eden Prairie Local News, she is the managing owner of the Simonetti Real Estate Team and has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota.
In July, she was given a 90-day sentence for a 2024 incident in which she threw a live tarantula onto a staircase leading to her then-tenant's living space. Court documents show she was set to serve her sentence on school/work release.
She ran unsuccessfully twice for a Hennepin County commissioner seat in 2024, state records show.
Michele Tafoya
The Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Michele Tafoya, is a former NFL sideline reporter and four-time Emmy winner who is now a conservative commentator.
Tafoya, according to her campaign website, says Minnesota and the country "need leaders who will restore accountability, rebuild public trust, and get results."
She has emphasized stopping "Congress's runaway spending," cracking down on fraud, making health care affordable for Minnesotans, fighting tax increases, strengthening border security and holding state officials accountable when they "fail to prevent or address fraud involving taxpayer funds."
Rebecca Whiting
The Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate is Rebecca Whiting. According to her campaign website, she is an Army combat veteran who served two tours in Iraq as a medic.
Campaign messaging describes Whiting as a small business owner who lives on a farm in Bemidji and supports ending wars, bringing service members home, privatizing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and dismantling central banks.
WCCO has published an election guide to help you find your polling place and meet the candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and Minnesota's eight U.S. House districts.
