Thursday, February 13, 2025

Election 2026 in MN: The first domino (UPDATE: friend of the NARN)

I had been hearing rumors of Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) not seeking reelection in 2026. On Thursday morning, she made it official. 





Given the GOP has a 53-47 advantage in the U.S. Senate, Dems need a net gain of four seats to attain a majority. But given they'll be on defense in Georgia (Jon Ossoff, incumbent D in a red state) and Michigan (Gary Peters, who's also not running in '26), this announcement certainly doesn't bolster their prospects. While I'm not suggesting that Smith's seat is suddenly in play for Republicans, it does mean that Democrats have to devote more resources to playing defense here as opposed to relying on the power of incumbency in a blue state.  


So now the question shifts to who might vie for this seat from both parties. Well, the current Lt. Gov. didn't waste any time in conveying her plans. 





This comes on the heals of speculation that Flanagan's boss was considering a run. 





The fact Flanagan made her official announcement while her boss was mulling it over is not only hilarious but also doesn't squash speculation that the two have been at odds since last summer when Walz was running for Veep. Since I believed that Flanagan would challenge Walz in the Dem primary for governor in 2026, who's to say the two won't go head-to-head in this Senate race. Dang, there ain't enough popcorn in the world for that spectacle. 

On the Republican side, I have little hope that a viable candidate will emerge. Royce White, who was soundly defeated by Sen. Amy Klobuchar in their 2024 matchup, signaled within the aftermath of his loss that he would be heard from again. If the GOP is serious about flipping this seat, that is an absolute non-starter. Another name that has emerged is Adam Schwarze, whose cousin happens to be my next door neighbor. 
 




Schwarze's only foray into electoral politics was in 2022 when he failed in his bid to be the GOP candidate in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. The woeful lack of name recognition would be his undoing in a statewide race. 


So if the Minnesota gubernatorial race is suddenly wide open, who does the GOP put forth? Well, given the party's recent history in candidate selection, they're on a course to make the same mistake they did in the 2018 cycle when they put forth the guy (Jeff Johnson) who lost in the previous gov race.


Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen told the Minnesota Star Tribune this week he is “strongly considering” running again next year. Jensen, a Chaska physician and former state senator, rose to prominence in the state Republican Party during the COVID-19 pandemic as an outspoken skeptic of death counts, vaccines and mask mandates.

Jensen lost to Walz by nearly 8 percentage points in 2022. Despite being at the top of the ticket, Jensen garnered fewer votes than the GOP’s candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor.


Again, that's gotta be a non-starter. 


Kendall Qualls, who seriously pushed Jensen for the state party endorsement in 2022, is also considering a run. Between his '22 gov campaign and his opposition to CD3 Congressman Dean Phillips in 2020, Qualls has some significant name recognition. His founding of the organization Take Charge has also raised his profile. This would be a solid pick. 


And then there's an out-of-the-box consideration......and I definitely don't hate it. 


Attorney Chris Madel has been rumored to be contemplating a run for the governor’s mansion. Madel was the attorney for state trooper Ryan Londregan, who faced criminal charges in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II that were later dismissed. He is representing Alpha News and its star reporter, Liz Collin, who are being sued for defamation by a high-ranking Minneapolis police officer over claims made in the film, “The Fall of Minneapolis.”

Political observers noted that several “Chris Madel for governor” web domains were registered in mid-January. Madel would not confirm or deny his interest in the race when asked by a Star Tribune reporter late last month.

“As a policy, I admit nothing, and I deny nothing,” Madel said.

In January, Madel wrote an op-ed in Alpha News urging state House Republicans to fight back against the DFL’s boycott of the legislative session. He slammed Walz’s leadership at the beginning of the op-ed while also noting he once supported the governor.


If we've learned anything in the Trump era, it's that a high profile figure from outside the political realm can definitely make some hay, particularly for a constituency (i.e. MN Republicans) who have grown tired of losing (18 years and counting, statewide). I absolutely wanna hear more. 


We're barely more than a month removed from those who won elected office in 2024 being sworn into their new positions. This is proof positive that there is no offseason for campaigning. As a citizen, I occasionally grow quite weary. But as a radio talk show host? More, please!


🚨🚨🚨🚨UPDATE: Friend of the Northern Alliance Radio Network (and current Minnesota State Senator) Julia Coleman is considering running for a different office in 2026! 🚨🚨🚨🚨


 

----------------------------------------

Posted by at
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)