Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith stunned the political world on Thursday and announced that she will not seek reelection in 2026.read more below

Smith stated that she has “loved” her role as a U.S. senator but would like to spend more time with her family because she has four grandchildren in a video that was uploaded on the social media site X.

“I wanted you to hear directly from me that I have decided not To run for re-election in the United States Senate In 2026. I’ve loved my job as a United States senator. And also, after 20 years of hard and rewarding work In the public sector, I’m ready to spend more time withmy  family. You know when I first came into this Senate I didn’t have any grandchildren And now Archie and I have four Our sons, Sam & Mason And daughters-in-law Emily And Julia are all living in Minneapolis,” Smith began.

“So we can be together. My father is turning 95 this summer And I am blessed to Have a large extended family Of siblings Nieces And nephews One of my great joys Is knowing that To spend more time with them Doing sleepovers And helping out when the kids need me Is not just political; it is entirely personal But it’s not lost on me That our country Needs strong progressive leadership Right now. Maybe more than ever So there are two things On my mind about this. The first Is that I have Two, nearly Two full years left In my Senate term And I plan to use Every single day Working as hard As can To represent your interests At the United States Senate And make sure Your voices,” Smith added.