ST. PAUL 鈥� U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar announced Thursday morning that she will be running for U.S. House come 2026, ruling out a bid for U.S. Senate.
In a comment provided to Forum News Service, Omar said she looks forward to continuing work for the people of Minnesota鈥檚 5th Congressional District, which represents all of Minneapolis and parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties.
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鈥淎t 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,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am excited to announce I am running for reelection for Minnesota鈥檚 Fifth Congressional District to keep standing up for our rights in the face of authoritarianism.鈥�
The announcement from Omar rules out a run for U.S. Senate, which has been left open following Sen. Tina Smith鈥檚 announcement that she won鈥檛 seek re-election in 2026. Omar鈥檚 Democrat counterpart, Rep. Angie Craig, stated on X on Feb. 17, shortly after Smith鈥檚 announcement, that she is 鈥済iving serious consideration to the open Senate seat.鈥�
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and former state Sen. Melisa L贸pez Franzen are the only candidates with elected office experience to have announced their bid for the U.S. Senate seat.
Omar is the second of Minnesota鈥檚 congressional delegation to officially announce their reelection campaign for 2026 after announced on March 17 her intentions to run again.
The Trust Project
