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A Democrat running for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat has left the race.

Former State Sen. Melisa López Franzen says she’s ending 

. The former senate minority leader was among three DFL candidates vying for the seat Senator Tina Smith will depart after 2026.

Lopez Franzen had been overshadowed by Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in endorsements and available money.

She says she decided to leave the race after reflection and conversations with family, supporters and community leaders.

“This is not about stepping back — it’s about stepping with intention into the space where I can have the greatest impact,” she said in a statement. “The work continues — just through a different path.”

Two Republican candidates, so far, say they’ll run for the seat — Royce White, who lost a race to Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2024, and Marine and Navy Seal veteran Adam Schwarze.

MPR News Staff

Author

Former state legislator Melisa Lopez Franzen says she’s ending the campaign she began a couple months ago for the seat Senator Tina Smith will depart after 2026.

Former state legislator López Franzen ends campaign for U.S. Senate

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