Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential race, has decided not to contest an open U.S. Senate seat in his state in 2026.

“Governor Walz is not running for the United States Senate,” his spokesperson Teddy Tschann said in a statement Wednesday. “He loves his job as Governor and he’s exploring the possibility of another term to continue his work to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids.”

Walz has also previously not ruled out a 2028 presidential run.

The Democratic Senate primary in the North Star State is expected to be crowded. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) entered the race last week, while other potential candidates include Reps. Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, and Ilhan Omar. Walz has no plans to endorse a candidate in the primary.

On the Republican side, former NBA player Royce White has declared his intention to run again after losing to incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) in November, as has retired Navy seal Adam Schwarze.

Walz, who rose to national prominence as the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, had previously considered running for the seat of Sen. Tina Smith (D) who is not seeking reelection.

“This decision is not political, it’s entirely personal, but it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership right now, maybe more than ever,” Smith said earlier this month.

Smith’s announcement came about two weeks after fellow Democratic Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.) announced he would retire next year, creating an opportunity for Republicans to increase their majority in the Senate. Minnesota, however, remains a reliably blue state even though now-President Donald Trump improved on his 2020 performance in November’s election.