Former NFL journalist Michele Tafoya officially entered Minnesota’s Senate race Tuesday, filing the necessary paperwork and giving Republicans momentum as they seek to flip the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.).
Michele Tafoya, a former Sunday Night Football sideline reporter for NBC Sports Group until 2022, has long been viewed as a potential GOP Senate candidate. She has criticized Democratic contenders Angie Craig and Peggy Flanagan on social media.
Her entry gives Republicans a strong recruit and could force Democrats to spend money in a blue-leaning state, particularly as they contend with a statewide fraud scandal. The move may also intensify internal Democratic debates over electability, with Craig emphasizing her success in winning a competitive House seat, in contrast to Flanagan’s more progressive profile.
Republicans, however, face hurdles of their own. The GOP has not won a statewide race in Minnesota since 2006, when former Gov. Tim Pawlenty secured a second term.
While a widening fraud scandal has intensified scrutiny of Gov. Tim Walz (D), who announced earlier this year he would not seek a third term, the growing federal immigration enforcement presence in the state could also trigger backlash that complicates Republicans’ prospects, according to some sources.
Former sports reporter Michele Tafoya has filed FEC paperwork to run as a Republican for US Senate in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/DdIF2IiVbT
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) January 20, 2026
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