Marisa Simonetti
Independent
Business owner from Plymouth; 2024 candidate for the Hennepin County Board
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U.S. Senate · Nov 3, 2026
Open seat. Held by Tina Smith, who is not running.
Open seat: Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is not seeking re-election. Candidates are listed in the order shown in the Secretary of State's candidate table.
Business owner from Plymouth; 2024 candidate for the Hennepin County Board
Farmer, U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq War and chair of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota; 2024 Libertarian Senate nominee
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota since 2019; former state representative
Former sports broadcaster for NBC, ESPN, ABC and CBS and former political podcast host
What each candidate says they support or would do, on the issues they campaign on. Summaries use the same neutral words for everyone and link to the candidate’s own words.
Researched with AI and confirmed by a second, independent AI check. Our editors haven’t reviewed it yet. How we verify
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Supports strict border enforcement and clear immigration law, and says she would dismantle what she calls bureaucratic human trafficking loops and exploitation by corporate interests.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Supports making the process to obtain citizenship or legal work authorization free and fast.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports dismantling ICE and building an immigration system based on due process, ending the administration's mass deportation policy, a secure border with more technology and staffing, and a pathway to legal status for long-settled immigrants.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Would cosponsor the Deporting Fraudsters Act to deport noncitizens convicted of fraud, supports deporting immigrants in the country illegally who commit crimes and a secure border, and opposes efforts to abolish ICE.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Supports policies that protect small and midsize farms, cut unnecessary red tape and expand access to sustainable-agriculture grants, along with farm-to-table networks, local food in schools and hospitals, and rural housing investments for agricultural workers.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports eliminating tariffs she says are harming Minnesota farmers and export markets while keeping protections for industries such as iron mining, providing aid to farmers as markets are rebuilt, passing a five-year farm bill and giving farmers the right to repair their equipment.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Supports stable public school funding, expanded early childhood programs, competitive teacher pay, and vocational training, apprenticeships and technical education, and supports affordable housing near quality schools.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Supports education changes that give parents more say, increase transparency and accountability, and raise test scores.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Supports expanding solar, wind and geothermal energy through incentives, grid upgrades and community-owned renewable projects, and supports weatherization programs, energy-efficient building codes and low-interest home improvement loans.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Supports all U.S. energy sources, which she says would lower utility bills and gas prices while continuing to protect the environment.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Says she would defend the Bill of Rights against institutional overreach and modern surveillance, and close constitutional loopholes she says let the government exploit people's labor, capital or data.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Supports keeping transgender women and girls, whom she describes as men, out of women's sports and locker rooms.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Supports making government frameworks open-source and fully transparent to the public.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports banning stock trading by members of Congress and the president, banning elected and appointed officials from lobbying, banning corporate money in elections, requiring disclosure of all donors and overturning Citizens United. Says she does not take corporate PAC money.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Would break up what she calls state-sanctioned corporate monopolies, cut spending on bureaucracy, and end prison labor systems that she says push down working-class wages.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Supports ending the Federal Reserve and dismantling central banks, and deregulating to help small businesses.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Says taxation is theft and opposes taxes.
“Taxation is theft.”
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Opposes any tax increase on the middle class and opposes repealing what she calls the Working Family Tax Cuts. Says Congress should spend less, borrow less and tax less.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports Medicare for All. Until it passes, would ban insurers' use of prior authorization, have Medicare and Medicaid negotiate the cost of all prescription drugs, reverse the 2025 Medicaid cuts and add vision, dental and hearing coverage to Medicare and Medicaid.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Says she would take on government and insurance bureaucrats, middlemen and price-gougers, cut prescription drug costs and keep healthcare decisions with patients.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
Supports local management of Minnesota's natural resources and strict constitutional property rights.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Opposes using the U.S. military abroad unless the United States is attacked, opposes entangling alliances and U.S. funding for allies, and supports bringing troops home and a policy of non-intervention.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Would pass a national Defend the Guard bill allowing the National Guard to be used in combat only when Congress has declared war.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Supports privatizing the VA so veterans can get care through the private market.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Would work to slow the growth of the national debt and balance the federal budget.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
Opposes using taxpayer money for data centers, Flock license plate cameras and other infrastructure used to monitor people.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports a $17 federal minimum wage tied to inflation, national paid family and medical leave, and universal childcare.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Would work to restore nationwide access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, contraception, and prenatal and postnatal care, and says healthcare decisions belong to patients and their providers.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports the Homes Act to build more housing, banning large corporate landlords and hedge funds from buying single-family homes, and more federal funding to remove lead from pipes and homes.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
Supports raising the income cap and broadening the income sources for Social Security contributions so the wealthiest pay more, more funding for the Social Security Administration, and opposes cuts to Medicare.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
No published position found.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Would push for mandatory minimum federal prison sentences for fraud and for cutting federal funds to states that don't adopt anti-fraud controls. Supports more funding, equipment and training for police and opposes removing legal protections officers rely on.
IndependentMarisa Simonetti
No published position found.
LibertarianRebecca Whiting
No published position found.
Democratic–Farmer–LaborPeggy Flanagan
No published position found.
RepublicanMichele Tafoya
Supports the SAVE Act, voter ID and paper ballots.