Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced Thursday she won't seek re-election in 2026, forcing the Democratic Party to defend another open seat in next year's midterms and making more difficult their goal of regaining the Senate majority.

"I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026," Smith said in a social media post. "This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country. Thank you so much, Minnesota."

Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 to succeed former Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations. She won a special election later that year to serve out Franken's term and was re-elected in 2020 to a full six-year term.

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Senate Republicans vowed to try and flip Smith's seat in blue-leaning Minnesota.

"Minnesota is in play, and we play to win. Minnesotans deserve a senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity and safer communities," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement to Fox News. 

But the Senate Democrats' campaign arm quickly pledged to keep the seat in party hands.

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"No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate race in over 20 years, and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein emphasized in a statement to Fox News.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, praised Smith as "a remarkable senator — smart, compassionate, and tireless in her commitment to Minnesota and the country."

"While I will deeply miss her leadership and friendship in the Senate, I have no doubt that her legacy of service will continue to inspire. We have a strong bench in Minnesota, and I’m confident that we’ll keep her seat blue," Schumer predicted.

Smith became the second Democrat in the Senate to announce she would forgo running for re-election in the midterms, following Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, a key Midwestern battleground state.

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Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and won a 53-47 majority in the chamber.

The party in power - which is clearly the Republicans right now - traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. And while an early read of the 2026 map shows the GOP will be forced to play defense in some states, they'll also go on offense in others.

Besides the open seat in Michigan, the GOP will target first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in swing state New Hampshire.

Now the Democrats will have to pay attention to Minnesota, which the Cook Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, this week rated as "Likely Democrat," as it unveiled its first read on the battle for the Senate majority in the 2026 cycle.

However, Democrats aim to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democrats' 2024 national ticket, took to social media soon after Smith's news.

"Tina has always done the work to improve people’s lives: lowering the price of insulin, improving access to mental health services, passing historic climate legislation, and our party’s champion for reproductive freedom. Minnesotans will miss having her in the Senate," Walz wrote.

There is speculation Walz, who is eligible to run for re-election in 2026 for a third four-year term as Minnesota governor, may now have an interest in his state's open Senate seat.

Smith, in a video announcement she posted on social media, noted that Democrats "have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota. A group of leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry it forward. And I'm excited to make room for them to move forward."

Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan moved toward launching a campaign, saying in a social media post, "I love Minnesota, and my intention is to run for United States Senate and continue to serve the people of this state. I’ll make a formal announcement later this month."

There's also speculation that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the so-called Squad, may make a move to run for the Senate.

Fox News' Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite President Donald Trump's executive order to ban them from doing so.

Trump on Wednesday signed the "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order, fulfilling one of his major campaign promises of keeping biological men out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota organization said in an email to member schools that participation by, and eligibility of, transgender athletes is controlled by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ+ people, and the Minnesota Constitution.

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"The Minnesota State High School League, similar to other youth sports organizations, is subject to state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity," the organization said in a statement. "Therefore, students in Minnesota are allowed to participate consistent with their gender identity."

Minnesota joins California in ignoring Trump's executive order. The state is governed by Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris' running mate for the 2024 election; the Democrats won the state.

The state was home to a Supreme Court case where a transgender powerlifter was continuing the fight to compete against biological women.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

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Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump's executive order would be to create a "pressure campaign" for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. 

In response to Trump's order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump's ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028. 

The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

The study, "Violence against women and girls in sports," said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.

Fox News' Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The search for a Domino’s pizza delivery driver who disappeared in Minnesota during a shift last week remains ongoing after authorities say his car was discovered over 100 miles away in Wisconsin on Sunday.

A witness told police that they saw Shuefaub Xiong, 42, in his red Toyota Camry around 4 p.m. Saturday in Superior, Wisconsin, the Apple Valley Police Department in Minnesota said Monday.

Police discovered Xiong’s Toyota Camry unoccupied on Sunday in Superior – around 170 miles north of Apple Valley, where Xiong was reported missing on Jan. 14 after he "did not return home" from work at Domino’s, police said.

A friend of Xiong’s also reported that they spoke in Roseville, Minnesota, around 8 p.m. Saturday, though police say it was unclear how Xiong traveled or if he used a different car to cross back into the state.

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Investigators believe Xiong may be experiencing a mental health crisis after his "uncharacteristic behavior." Police said that while there is no indication that Xiong is a threat to others, he is known to carry a firearm and has a permit to carry.

Xiong was first reported missing after he failed to make four deliveries that were scheduled around 6 p.m. on Jan. 14. Officers conducted searches in each area where Xiong was supposed to make a delivery, though police said they did not find the missing delivery driver.

Police said the last known sighting of Xiong on Jan. 14 was at a Target in Richfield, Minnesota, though he was also believed to have been in Golden Valley at one point.

Investigation into his phone location, bank records, and known social media accounts have not produced any leads on why Xiong disappeared or his current whereabouts, police said.

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Friends and family described Xiong in a post on a GoFundme page as "the most thoughtful, kind, and selfless person we know" and "the one who always puts others before himself."

"Our family is heartbroken by his disappearance, and each moment without him feels like an eternity. We are doing everything in our power to bring him home safely," the post read.

Xiong is described as an Asian male, standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 215 pounds, with brown hair and eyes.

Authorities asked anyone with information regarding Xiong’s location to call (952) 953-2700.

The Minnesota Republican Party vowed to pursue constitutional recalls against any Democratic legislator who refuses to show up at the state legislature's first day of session on Monday.

Democrats have threatened to boycott the first two weeks of the session in an effort to block Republicans from taking advantage of a narrow and temporary majority in the state legislature. Minnesota GOP Chairman Alex Plechash argued at a Monday press conference that intentionally skipping work would expose Democratic lawmakers to election recall efforts.

"Minnesotans expect one thing from their elected officials: to show up and do the job they were sent here to do. That's a basic duty, not a special request," Plechash said, speaking at the Minnesota state capitol.

Republicans currently enjoy a 67-66 seat majority in the state House and could use that majority to set legislative rules for the next two years when the session begins on Tuesday. Their advantage is likely temporary, however, with a special election in a lean-Democratic district scheduled for January 28. The previous Democratic lawmaker in the district, Curtis Johnson, won his election in November, but was later disqualified after courts determined he did not truly reside in the district.

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Republicans will therefore enjoy a majority for at least the two weeks between the start of session on Tuesday and the special election at the end of January. Republicans are also contesting the election of another Democrat, Rep. Brad Tabke, who won re-election by 14 votes after county elections officials lost 20 absentee ballots in one precinct.

"We are committed to holding every lawmaker accountable. If you don't show up for the job, you shouldn't keep it," Plechash said.

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GOP Attorney Ryan Wilson says Minnesota law requires that a recall petition receives at least 25 signatures from voters in a given district. Once obtained, the petition is then sent to the Minnesota Supreme Court to determine whether the cause for the recall meets legal standards.

Wilson said the GOP would be basing its recall requests on "nonfeasance," or the failure to perform an act that is required by law.

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If the state Supreme Court approves that reasoning, the petition would then need to be signed by at least 25% of the number of voters in the district who cast ballots in the November election. If it passes that threshold, the district would then hold a recall vote.

"We've never had a situation like this in the history of the legislature, where 66 members of a caucus are unwilling to show up for work," Wilson said.

Republican state Rep. Pam Altendorf argued Democrats are only facing a disadvantage "because of cheating." She added that the lawmakers are "acting like sore losers and not coming to work."

The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

A Minnesota man accused of killing two of his romantic partners, cutting them up, and dumping them in storage units, recently entered a new plea.

Joseph Jorgenson pleaded guilty on Thursday to killing missing women Manijeh "Mani" Starren and Fanta Xayavong, whose remains were found in storage facilities in 2023, according to a report from FOX 9. 

He also pleaded guilty to two separate counts of second-degree intentional murder.

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Jorgenson admitted to killing Starren in her apartment after she asked him to leave in April 2023.

He "choked her out until she was no longer breathing," before using a long razor blade to dismember her body and moving the remains to a Woodbury storage facility, according to the report.

Jorgenson also admitted to killing Xayavong two years prior, after "a verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation" at their home, according to FOX 9. After cutting up her body, he moved the remains to a Coon Raprids storage facility.

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"She's our beautiful daughter. She had a heart of gold, and she was a really good mom," Ricki Starren, Mani’s mother, told FOX 9 after the plea hearing. "Yes, he is a monster. But I do feel bad for his family though."

He is facing a total of 40 years in prison for both deaths, according to officials.

Fox 9's Paul Blume contributed to this story.