High-profile “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar effectively closed the door on rumors she would seek Minnesota’s open Senate seat in 2026, with an announcement launching a House re-election bid.
“At a time when our rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to fight back against the chaos, corruption, and callousness of the Trump Administration,” the Minneapolis Democrat told Minnesota Public Radio.
“In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money. Our campaign is ready to build on our successful grassroots organizing efforts to have a record turnout for the midterms and help win back the majority,” she said.
She won her last race for the 5th Congressional District seat handily, defeating Iraq-born Republican journalist Dalia al-Aqidi by about 50 points.
Omar had been one of several names bandied about as potential successors to Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., who announced last month she would not seek re-election.
Almost immediately, fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan threw her hat in the ring, while Omar and other top potential candidates remained silent.
One of Omar’s fellow “Squad” members, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been rumored as a potential 2028 primary opponent to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.
In February, Smith – who was originally appointed by then-Gov. Mark Dayton to succeed Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations – said in February that she was ready to spend more time with her family.
“This decision is not political, it is entirely personal, but it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership right now, maybe more than ever,” Smith said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also declined to seek Smith’s seat, leaving his deputy – Flanagan – as the highest-profile Democrat in the race to date.
“At this point in time, I don’t want to have my thumb on the scale in any way,” Walz said in February.
“I just know we’ve got a deep bench. We’ve got good folks,” said Walz, who may instead consider a third term in St. Paul.
If elected, Flanagan – who is Ojibwe – would be only the fifth U.S. senator of Native American heritage and the second currently in office, alongside Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin.
On the Republican side, retired Marine and Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze announced a bid and called it his “most important mission of them all.”
Additionally, former Sacramento Kings player Royce White announced his own bid. White previously lost the 2024 GOP Senate primary.
The race to succeed Smith will be the Land of 10,000 Lakes’ first open Senate race since 2006 – when Dayton declined to run for re-election and Sen. Amy Klobuchar defeated then-Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., by about 19 points.
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