By MAYA SWEEDLER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s increasingly one place that U.S. senators want to be — anywhere but Washington.

Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota became the fourth sitting senator to seek leadership of a home state in 2026 when she announced her campaign on Thursday. That’s the most in recent history, according to an Associated Press analysis of congressional retirements.

She joins Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet, Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn and Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville, who are all doing the same thing.

The increase in senators looking toward statehouses underscores how sharply the balance of political ambition has shifted away from Washington. Although the Senate was once seen as the capstone of a long political career or a premier perch for launching presidential bids, it has become increasingly stagnant and dysfunctional.

What’s the allure of the governor’s office?

Governorships now offer what the Senate usually cannot — the ability to govern, build a record and shape a national profile.

“Everybody asks me, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Tuberville recently told the AP. “Because I think I can do more good in that seat than I can in this one.”

FILE – U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks about plans to run for the governor of Alabama in 2026, May 27, 2025 at Byron’s Smokehouse in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ John David Mercer, File)

The four senators who have already announced their campaigns are part of a broader exodus from Congress’ upper chamber. Eleven have announced their intent to retire next year, which includes nine in the final year of their term.

Bennet has long voiced frustration at glacial progress in Washington, but his decision to run for Colorado governor still surprised many politicos in his home state.

In an interview, he said there’s no way to address problems like affordability from the Senate.

“Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C. will never be responsive to those challenges,” Bennet said. “He’s literally hanging gold on the walls of the Oval Office.”

Bennet also noted that Trump, a Republican, has “declared war” on Colorado, vowing to make the state pay for continuing to imprison a county clerk who was convicted of breaking the law while trying to help prove the bogus claim that the 2020 election was mired by fraud. Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, also recently vetoed a water project intended to help the state’s rural areas.

FILE – Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., questions former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings for her confirmation at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell, File)

The concerns reflect how national partisan battles have increasingly defined even state-level politics, which used to revolve around local issues and have less of a partisan tinge. Bennet and his Democratic primary rival, state attorney general Phil Weiser, have each argued they’re best equipped to push back against Trump.

“It’s very important to have people who understand those national fights and who won’t cower in the face of that,” Bennet said.

Highest turnover in the Senate in more than a decade

Tuberville, who was first elected in 2020, said he didn’t think there’s any common denominator among the senators running for governor.

“You know, the reason I’m going back is, I think I can do more in the short term than I can in the long term up here,” he said. He added that, as governor, “you’re CEO of the state, and your vote counts more,” while in the Senate, “you’re one of 100.”

Even if no more senators were to retire, this cycle would still have the highest turnover in the Senate in more than a decade. The last time more than a dozen senators left in one year was after the 113th Congress, when — in part due to President Barack Obama tapping senators for positions in his Democratic administration — 13 senators retired, resigned or died.

Senate becomes ‘a more noxious place for lawmakers’

“There’s a push and a pull factor,” said Matt Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University. “The push factor is the Senate in particular has become a more noxious place for lawmakers, because all the downsides to serving in public office and in the Senate are no longer mitigated in a significant way by the upsides of passing legislation.”

Related Articles

Unmentioned but present, Trump is a common denominator in efforts to strengthen Asia-Europe ties

Chinese national who exposed human rights abuses in his homeland is granted asylum to remain in US

EPA plan would begin rolling back ‘good neighbor’ rule on downwind pollution from smokestacks

Mayors warn that Trump’s hardline immigration tactics could dent trust in law enforcement

Federal troop deployments to US cities cost taxpayers $496M and counting

“Being governor, aside from the obvious fact that you’re chief executive as opposed to one of 100, is increasingly alluring,” Dallek said. “At the state level, a lot more can get done. Often states have to balance their budgets, they need to work on bipartisan legislation, and I think that there’s a sense among lawmakers that it’s in the states — these so-called labs of democracy — where governance is possible.”

He pointed to Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas and Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida, both Republicans, as examples of governing templates on topics ranging from immigration to cultural issues.

According to the U.S. Senate Historical Office, 22 senators have served as governors after leaving the Senate since the direct election of senators began in 1913. Of those, seven moved directly to the governor’s mansion from the U.S. Senate.

Most recently, Mike Braun of Indiana won his state’s governor’s race in 2024 while serving as the state’s junior senator.

Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Nick Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has officially launched her campaign for Minnesota governor, weeks after Gov. Tim Walz dropped out of the race amid mounting pressure on his record handling fraud in state government programs.

The fourth-term Democratic senator announced her candidacy for the state’s top office Thursday morning. She had been considering running for governor since as early as January, when Walz announced he wouldn’t seek a third term in office.

In a video announcing her candidacy, Klobuchar noted recent tragedies in Minnesota — the assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortiman and her husband, the Annunciation Catholic School shooting last summer and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents this month during an enforcement sweep this month directed by the administration of President Donald Trump.

“Minnesota, we’ve been through a lot,” Klobuchar said. “In these moments of enormous difficulty, we find strength in our Minnesota values of hard work, freedom, and simple decency and goodwill. These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this Administration, but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state.”

Klobuchar’s announcement comes less than a week before the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s endorsement process begins with precinct caucuses on Feb. 3.

Last week, Klobuchar filed paperwork to run for governor with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, and sources close to the campaign offered a strong signal she’d enter the race.

Walz reportedly met with Klobuchar the weekend before he withdrew from the race on Jan. 5.

The second-term governor, who withdrew his candidacy as scrutiny continued to build on his handling of widespread Medicaid fraud in state programs, blamed “political gamesmanship” by President Donald Trump and Republicans over fraud for his withdrawal.

Klobuchar, the third-ranking Senate Democrat, has a clear path toward the DFL nomination for Minnesota governor. No other prominent Democratic-Farmer-Labor figures have suggested interest in running.

Keith Ellison, a DFLer, this week said he would not run for governor, but will instead seek reelection as attorney general. DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon is seeking a fourth term in his current office.

Klobuchar has performed well statewide in every election since she first won office in 2006 and has always led her Republican competitors by double-digit percentage margins. No Republican has won an election for statewide office since 2006.

Before winning her Senate seat, Klobuchar served as Hennepin County attorney. In 2020, she ran for president, but suspended her campaign in March of that year and went on to endorse Joe Biden.

In her campaign announcement, Klobuchar touted her bipartisan record in the U.S. Senate and pledged to combat fraud in state government — something former staff at the U.S. attorney’s office estimated could run into the billions in Minnesota.

“I’ll stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong,” Kloubuchar said. “I don’t like fraud or waste in government. That’s why I went after crime as county attorney. I will make sure the people who steal taxpayer money go to jail and root out the fraud by changing the way state government works.”

Related Articles

St. Paul mayor meets with border czar, tells him of ‘harm’ from ICE surge

Mark York, farmer from Southwest Minnesota, announces bid for U.S. Senate

DFL wins in St. Paul, Woodbury special elections. MN House remains tied

Alex Pretti’s union ‘disappointed’ with VA head’s reaction, calls for independent investigation

Judge orders ICE chief to appear in court or risk contempt over denial of due process

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith has chosen not to seek reelection this year and that race has attracted numerous candidates.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Billy Nord, a manager at a streaming company, are vying for the Democratic endorsement in that race.

Republicans running for governor in 2026 include House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, 2022 gubernatorial candidate Dr. Scott Jensen, a doctor who rose to prominence for his criticism of state COVID policy; state Rep. Kristin Robbins; 2022 Republican endorsement contender Kendall Qualls, a former congressional candidate; and businessman Patrick Knight.

By SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States.

Related Articles

Today in History: January 29, Bush warns of ‘axis of evil’

Ecuador files protest after ICE agents try to enter consulate in Minneapolis

TikTok star Shirley Raines, known for bringing meals and respect to people on LA’s Skid Row, dies at 58

Gerber recalls arrowroot biscuits that might contain pieces of plastic or paper

Tesla made smallest annual profit since the pandemic, plans to spend big on robotaxis and robots

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans.

The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices.

An email late Wednesday night to the Department of Homeland Security was not immediately returned.

The 9th Circuit panel also upheld the lower court’s finding that Noem exceeded her authority when she decided to end TPS early for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti.

A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule any day now on a request to pause the termination of TPS for Haiti while a separate lawsuit challenging it proceeds. The country’s TPS designation is scheduled to end on February 3.

Ninth Circuit Judges Kim Wardlaw, Salvador Mendoza, Jr. and Anthony Johnstone said in Wednesday’s ruling that the TPS legislation passed by Congress did not give the secretary the power to vacate an existing TPS designation. All three judges were nominated by Democratic presidents.

“The statute contains numerous procedural safeguards that ensure individuals with TPS enjoy predictability and stability during periods of extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home country,” Wardlaw, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, wrote for the panel.

Wardlaw said Noem’s “unlawful actions have had real and significant consequences” for Venezuelans and Haitians in the United States who rely on TPS.

“The record is replete with examples of hard-working, contributing members of society — who are mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and partners of U.S. citizens, pay taxes, and have no criminal records — who have been deported or detained after losing their TPS,” she wrote.

Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, authorized by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, allows the Homeland Security secretary to grant legal immigration status to people fleeing countries experiencing civil strife, environmental disaster or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent a safe return to that home country.

Designations are granted for terms of six, 12 or 18 months, and extensions can be granted so long as conditions remain dire. The status prevents holders from being deported and allows them to work, but it does not give them a path to citizenship.

In ending the protections, Noem said that conditions in both Haiti and Venezuela had improved and that it was not in the national interest to allow immigrants from the two countries to stay on for what is a temporary program.

Millions of Venezuelans have fled political unrest, mass unemployment and hunger. The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.

Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of people, and left more than 1 million homeless. Haitians face widespread hunger and gang violence.

Mendoza wrote separately that there was “ample evidence of racial and national origin animus” that reinforced the lower court’s conclusion that Noem’s decisions were “preordained and her reasoning pretextual.”

“It is clear that the Secretary’s vacatur actions were not actually grounded in substantive policy considerations or genuine differences with respect to the prior administration’s TPS procedures, but were instead rooted in a stereotype-based diagnosis of immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti as dangerous criminals or mentally unwell,” he wrote.

Attorneys for the government have argued the secretary has clear and broad authority to make determinations related to the TPS program and those decisions are not subject to judicial review. They have also denied that her actions were motived by racial animus.

BEIJING (AP) — Stability. Consistency. Ever-changing complexity.

With language like that, deployed in separate meetings in three Asian capitals this week, government leaders forged closer ties driven in part by a figure halfway around the world: the president of the United States. And much of the time, they didn’t even mention Donald Trump’s name.

Related Articles

Chinese national who exposed human rights abuses in his homeland is granted asylum to remain in US

EPA plan would begin rolling back ‘good neighbor’ rule on downwind pollution from smokestacks

Mayors warn that Trump’s hardline immigration tactics could dent trust in law enforcement

Federal troop deployments to US cities cost taxpayers $496M and counting

Bessent warns Carney against picking a fight before US-Canada-Mexico trade talks

IN BEIJING: The U.K. and Chinese leaders called Thursday for a “long-term, stable, and comprehensive strategic partnership” between their two countries. The important words are long-term and stable. The two countries committed a decade ago to building a comprehensive strategic partnership but progress has been halting at best.

IN HANOI: About 700 miles to the south, Vietnam and the European Union used the same phrasing on the same day. They upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The agreement places Vietnam on the same diplomatic footing with the EU as the United States, China and Russia.

IN NEW DELHI: Two days earlier, the EU and India reached a major free trade accord that had been mired in negotiations for years. It covers everything from textiles to medicines and will bring down India’s high tariffs on European wine and cars.

Trump was not the only factor behind the agreements, but his shaking up of the global order is worrying friends and foes and driving them closer. From a purely economic perspective, his import tariffs have sent countries seeking new markets to reduce their dependency on the American consumer.

More broadly, all the agreements have been accompanied by words from the leaders referring to the uncertainty that Trump has introduced to global affairs, though mostly without mentioning his name. The systems they have relied on to manage the world since the end of the Cold War and, in some cases since World War II, appear at risk.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for working with China on global stability “during challenging times for the world.” Chinese leader Xi Jinping described the international situation as “complex and ever-changing.” In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the partnership with the EU “will strengthen stability in the international system” at a time of ”turmoil in the global order.”

European Council President António Costa summed up the sentiment Thursday in the Vietnamese capital: “At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners.”