Former Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen ended her campaign for U.S. Senate Friday, just over two months after she launched her bid.
In a statement on social media, she said it was “not about stepping back.”
“It’s about stepping with intention into the space where I can have the greatest impact,” she said. “The work continues — just through a different path. Our shared values and the urgency of this moment demand nothing less.”
López Franzen, of Edina, served in the Minnesota Senate from 2013 until 2023 and became the first woman of color to lead the Senate Democrats. She did not seek re-election in 2022 after redistricting put her and another Democratic state senator in the same district.
In the Senate, López Franzen said she worked across the aisle to get things done.
“That commitment to service and solutions hasn’t changed — but how I carry it forward will,” she said.
López Franzen was the second Democrat to enter the race to replace Sen. Tina Smith, who is retiring. When she jumped into the contest in March, she said she was running to “protect our Minnesota values, restore sanity and bring decency and common sense back to Washington.”
“Our rights are being stripped away while unelected billionaires slash services for everyday Americans,” López Franzen said. “Everything we worked so hard for is under attack, so it’s time to work harder than ever before to protect the next generation. America is off course, not lost. Minnesotans will lead the way.”
