EMILYs List Statement on Sen. Tina Smith’s Retirement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith announced that she will not run for reelection in 2026, after her current term in office ends. EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the following statement: 

“Minnesotans have a true ally and fierce leader in Sen. Tina Smith. Throughout her political career, as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor and senator, she has worked effectively across the aisle to improve the lives of millions of women and working families. Her experience working at Planned Parenthood has been invaluable in Congress, informing legislation that best safeguards women’s health and right to choose. From fighting to make health care more affordable to bringing broadband access to rural communities, she’s instilled long-lasting change across this country.

“EMILYs List is proud to have been with Sen. Smith throughout her career of extraordinary service, and we congratulate her on the immense positive impact she’s brought to the state of Minnesota and to the American people.”

###EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Over nearly 40 years, EMILYs List has raised nearly $950 million to help Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the most impactful independent expenditure operations for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country’s first woman as vice president, 192 women to the House, 29 to the Senate, 20 governors, and over 1,600 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit www.emilyslist.org for more information.