There is an open Senate seat available in Minnesota, and many political observers believe that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar would be vying for it.
But the controversial lawmaker stunned them when she announced that she would seek reelection to her current seat in the House and not pursue the Senate.
It is a much simpler road for the representative, who only needs to win the votes of her largely Somali-American community to keep her job and not gain a broader appeal in the state to join the Senate.
“At 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,” Omar said in announcing her intention to seek reelection, MPR News reported.
“I am excited to announce I am running for reelection for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District to keep standing up for our rights in the face of authoritarianism,” she added.
“In Minnesota, we know that organized people will always beat organized money. Our campaign is ready to build on our successful grassroots organizing efforts to have a record turnout for the midterms and help win back the majority,” she said.
The Senate opportunity became available when Democratic Sen. Tina Smith announced that she would be retiring from the chamber.
“I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026. 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,” she said in a post on X in February.
“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,” the senator said in a video.
She said, “This decision is not political, it is entirely personal.”
“After 20 years of hard and rewarding work in the public sector, I’m ready to spend more time with my family,” Smith added.
Omar’s decision comes at a time when many people believe her fellow “Squad” member, New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will challenge Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer for his spot in the Senate.
A survey by Data for Progress indicates that Ocasio-Cortez is ahead of Schumer by 19 points in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic primary contest. Although Schumer still retains his title as leader of his party in the upper chamber, his popularity among the party’s base appears to be rapidly declining.
Between March 26 and 31, 767 likely Democratic primary voters in New York were asked whom they would support in a hypothetical primary matchup between Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez. The results were striking: 55% backed Ocasio-Cortez, while only 36% chose Schumer.
The findings were not anomalies. The poll revealed that Schumer had the highest disapproval rating among all Democratic figures tested, whereas Ocasio-Cortez ranked among the most popular, trailing only Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The decline comes at a politically perilous moment. Schumer recently joined Senate Republicans in supporting a spending bill negotiated with President Trump, drawing sharp criticism from progressives who argue that Democrats should take a more aggressive stance against the president’s mounting political influence.
A staggering 84% of respondents believe that Washington Democrats aren’t doing enough to stand up to Trump and the MAGA movement—a sentiment that serves as a full-blown alarm bell for establishment Democrats.
Support for Ocasio-Cortez spans virtually every major demographic group. She leads by 50 points among voters under 45 and by 8 points among those 45 and older, outperforming Schumer among white, Black, and Latino voters. She also outpaces him across both gender and education levels, with Schumer’s only advantage coming from self-identified moderates. Poll respondents were shown biographical summaries of both candidates.
Ocasio-Cortez’s favorability jumped from +59 to +69 after voters read about her background, 2018 primary victory, and policy positions. Schumer’s favorability also increased—from +26 to +47—but this boost wasn’t enough to change the head-to-head matchup.