At a Glance
- Michele Tafoya filed FEC paperwork Tuesday to run for Senate in Minnesota
- Sources expect her official campaign launch on Wednesday
- She enters a crowded GOP primary featuring last year’s nominee Royce White
- Why it matters: Her statewide name recognition could reshape a race Republicans hope to flip after two decades of Democratic wins
Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya is jumping into Minnesota politics, filing paperwork on Tuesday to establish a Senate campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission. Three sources confirmed to News Of Philadelphia that Tafoya is running to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, with an official announcement expected Wednesday.
The move gives Republicans a high-profile recruit as the party eyes its first statewide victory in Minnesota since 2006. Tafoya, a longtime NBC Sports reporter who now hosts a podcast, has been weighing the race for months and met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee in December, according to one source familiar with the discussion.
The Primary Field
Tafoya will face a contested GOP primary that already includes:
- Royce White, last year’s nominee who lost to Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar by 16 points
- David Hann, former state GOP chairman
- Adam Schwarze, former Navy SEAL
White, known for controversial online comments, won the party’s endorsement in 2024 but captured only 39% of the primary vote. The state Republican Party’s endorsement process often boosts a candidate’s campaign, though non-endorsed contenders can continue to a primary. It remains unclear whether Tafoya will seek the party’s endorsement or run without it.
Political Profile
Tafoya describes herself as a “pro-choice” Republican, potentially giving her crossover appeal in a state that President Trump lost by just 4 points in 2024-an improvement from his 7-point deficit in 2020. She first entered politics in 2022, co-chairing Republican Kendall Qualls‘ gubernatorial campaign while covering her final Super Bowl for NBC Sports.
In a February 2025 interview with WDAY Radio, Tafoya said she had spoken with NRSC Chairman Tim Scott and was weighing family considerations and her long-term ties to Minnesota. She framed her potential candidacy as offering voters “a moderate Republican who doesn’t tell them that they’re going to ban abortion, but who also is the antithesis of the Tim Walz regime.”
Democratic Side
On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig are competing for their party’s nomination to succeed Smith. Republicans have notched Senate pickups in other states Trump carried in 2024, including Michigan and Georgia, and hope Minnesota could be next.
Key Takeaways
- Tafoya’s entry adds celebrity firepower to a GOP primary that underperformed in 2024
- Her pro-choice stance may help in a state where abortion rights are salient
- The Republican path to victory still runs through a party that hasn’t won statewide since 2006
- Democratic divisions between Flanagan and Craig could narrow the eventual nominee’s margin
