3 weeks ago
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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.
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