Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya is officially entering Minnesota’s 2026 Senate race, injecting a high-profile Republican recruit into a battleground the party hasn’t won statewide since 2006.
Tafoya filed paperwork Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission to establish her campaign committee. Three sources confirmed she is running, and two sources said an official announcement is expected Wednesday.
At a Glance
- Michele Tafoya, longtime NBC Sports reporter, filed FEC paperwork to run for Senate in Minnesota
- Republicans hope Tina Smith’s retirement opens a rare pickup opportunity in a state Trump lost by only 4 points in 2024
- Tafoya calls herself a “pro-choice” Republican and has never held elected office
- She could face a contested primary against 2024 nominee Royce White and others
Why it matters: A well-known media figure with moderate stances could test GOP strength in a state the party has long targeted but repeatedly failed to flip.
From Sidelines to Senate Bid
Tafoya, who spent years on NFL sidelines for NBC Sports, now hosts a podcast and entered politics in 2022 as co-chair of Republican Kendall Quall’s gubernatorial campaign. She covered her final Super Bowl that year before stepping away from sportscasting.
Her leap into electoral politics has been months in the making. She met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee in December, according to one source familiar with the session. In a February 2025 interview with WDAY Radio, Tafoya said she had spoken with NRSC Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., and was weighing family considerations and her long-term ties to Minnesota.
“I think Minnesota is starving for 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,” she told the station.
A Crowded GOP Field
Tafoya joins a Republican primary that already includes former professional basketball player Royce White, who captured the party’s endorsement last year but lost to Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar by 16 points. Also running are former state GOP chairman David Hann and former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze.
The state Republican Party typically endorses a candidate at its convention, a nod that can turbo-charge fundraising and organization. Candidates who fall short of the endorsement can still forge ahead to a primary. White won the 2024 endorsement yet only secured the nomination with 39 percent of the primary vote after a contested race.
It remains unclear whether Tafoya will seek the party endorsement or mount a primary-only bid.
Democrats’ Open Seat
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith‘s retirement created the open seat. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig are competing for the Democratic nomination. Republicans have not won a statewide contest in Minnesota since 2006, but Trump narrowed the GOP’s deficit in the state to 4 points in 2024, a 3-point improvement over 2020.
Party strategists hope a political outsider with name recognition can capitalize on that trend. Tafoya pitches herself as a “pro-choice” Republican, potentially broadening her appeal in a state that has trended Democratic for decades.
Key Takeaways
- Michele Tafoya’s media profile gives Republicans a fresh face in a state where they’ve struggled to recruit competitive candidates
- Her moderate stance on abortion sets up an intraparty contrast with more hard-line hopefuls
- The GOP primary could again be fractious if Tafoya bypasses the endorsement route
- Democrats must defend an open seat in a state that has drifted closer to the national margin but remains reliably blue
