♪♪ >> Cathy: JOINED RIGHT NOW BY NATIONAL REPORTER AND MINNESOTA NATIVE JOHN MCCORMICK.

HE'S BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WHERE HE OVERS NATIONAL POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, JOHN.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S TO BOTH OF YOU.

>> AND TO YOU AS WELL, JOHN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

LET'S TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TINA SMITH AND THE FACT THAT THE SENATOR HAS DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR REELECTION AND AS YOU HEARD IN THAT PIECE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS ARE INTERESTED IN LEAPING IN.

GOVERNOR WALZ'S NAME KEEPS POPPING UP HERE.

WHY MIGHT IT MAKE ENSE FOR HIM TO RUN FOR U.S. SENATE?

>> WELL, ONE THING ON SMITH THAT I'LL JUST SAY BEFORE I ANSWER YOUR REAL QUESTION THERE, SHE DID SOMETHING UNUSUAL FOR A MEMBER OF THE SENATE, WHICH IS TO LEAVE THAT CHAMBER ON HER OWN WILL IN HER 60s.

THERE'S A LOT OF OLD SENATORS, YOU LOOK AT CHUCK GRASSLEY, JUST SOUTH OF YOU GUYS IN IOWA, HE'S GOT A COUPLE DECADES ON HER.

SO SHE'S JUST A KID IN TERMS OF AGE HEN IT COMES TO THE U.S. SENATE SO IT'S VERY UNUSUAL FOR SOMEBODY TO GET OUT AT THAT AGE.

ON YOUR QUESTION ON WALZ, I WANT TO BRING YOU GUYS THE LATEST, FRESHEST NEWS POSSIBLE, SO I MADE A COUPLE PHONE CALLS AND TEXTS EARLIER TODAY, AND IT'S SOUNDING LIKE HE IS PROBABLY LEANING AGAINST GETTING INTO THE SENATE RACE.

HE'S PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO RUN FOR THE JOB THAT HE HAS RIGHT NOW THAN RUN FOR THE SENATE.

SO I THINK HE WANTED TO PUT HIS HAND UP AND HAVE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND I'M TOLD THE DECISION IS NOT MADE ET, BUT HE'S PROBABLY LESS LIKELY TO TRY TO GET TO WASHINGTON THAN TO STAY IN ST. PAUL.

>> Cathy: I WONDER IF HE WAS MAYBE, OF COURSE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FLANAGAN WAS QUICK TO JUMP RIGHT IN, I WONDER IF THAT KIND OF HE LOOKED AT THAT ND THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE NOT.

>> YEAH, YOU GUYS WOULD KNOW SORT OF THE STORYLINE BETWEEN THOSE TWO BETTER THAN I WOULD.

I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF SORT OF AWKWARDNESS IN RECENT MONTHS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP SO IT DID SOUND LIKE SHE GOT OUT VERY QUICKLY, SORT OF PULLED THE TRIGGER ON ANNOUNCEMENT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE SENT SOME SIGNALS THAT HE WAS RAISING HIS HAND POTENTIALLY AS WELL TO BE CONSIDERED BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S LESS IKELY TO HAPPEN THAN FOR HIM TO RUN FOR A THIRD TERM WHICH WOULD ALSO BE FAIRLY UNUSUAL THERE.

>> Eric: REPUBLICANS ARE EXPECTED TO RETAIN THE SENATE MAJORITY AFTER THE '26 ELECTION ACCORDING TO THE TIP SHEETS I'VE READ THIS WEEK.

HOW MUCH WILL THIS RACE COMING UP WITH AN OPEN SEAT DRAW ATTENTION?

>> YEAH, I THINK IT WILL GET SOME ATTENTION.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A STRETCH TO CALL MINNESOTA A PURPLE STATE ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES IT DOES GET CALLED A PURPLE STATE.

I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE ATTENTION ON MICHIGAN WHERE GARY PETERS, A DEMOCRAT ANNOUNCED THAT HE'S NOT GOING TO RUN IN 2026, THAT'S A REAL BATTLEGROUND STATE, THERE'S GOING TO BE MASSIVE MONEY THAT WILL BE SPENT THERE ON THAT RACE.

SO I THINK FOR THE DEMOCRATS, THAT'S A BIGGER DEFEND TURF TERRITORY AND PROBLEM THAN MINNESOTA.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPEN SEAT, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

IT DEPENDS ON SORT OF WHERE THE ECONOMY IS AT, WHERE THE MOOD OF THE COUNTRY IS AT, HOW TRUMP IS DOING AT THE TIME, AND SO THERE WILL BE RESOURCES THAT WILL BE DEFINITELY SPENT ON THAT RACE AND YOU GUYS, REFRESH MY MEMORY BUT I THINK THE PRIMARY IS PRETTY LATE, I THINK IT'S LIKE AUGUST.

>> Eric: AUGUST, YEAH.

>> OF 2026, SO YOU HAVE IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY INTENSE PRIMARY WITH A LOT OF DEMOCRATS PROBABLY AND A VERY BRIEF GENERAL ELECTION.

>> Eric: THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE ABOUT TO ENTER THE KEN MARTIN ERA AND I WONDER HOW YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE RECEIVED BY THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT INSIDE THE BELTWAY.

>> YEAH, UNLIKE TIM WALZ WHO DIDN'T GET HIS NATIONAL TICKET PUNCHED, KEN MARTEDIN DID.

AND I WAS AT HIS ELECTION IN SUBURBAN WASHINGTON A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSER AND NOBODY REALLY EXPECTED HIM TO WIN ON THE FIRST BALLOT, BUT HE DID.

AND SO HE'S IN A POWERFUL POSITION FOR THE DNC AND TO BE A MESSENGER FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

YOU NOW, HE HAD REALLY WORKED THE INSIDE GAME ON THAT.

I MEAN, HE KNEW PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND ALL THE STATE PARTIES, BEEN TO SO MANY RUBBER CHICKEN DINNERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BEEN TO WYOMING AND ALASKA AND COURTING PEOPLE FOR THIS POTENTIAL MOMENT FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED, PEOPLE THOUGHT EN WICKLER FROM NEIGHBORING WISCONSIN WAS GOING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A COMPETITIVE RACE THAN IT TURNED OUT TO BE BUT MARTIN JUST SORT OF BLEW IT AWAY ON THE FIRST BALLOT.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.