Former NBC football reporter Michele Tafoya said she’s “not gonna stay on the sidelines any longer,” launching her Republican bid early Wednesday for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
Tafoya, a “Sunday Night Football” staple as an on-field commentator until 2022, had already tipped her hand by filing paperwork for a potential run. She made it official in a video (watch it below) leaning in to right-wing talking points on trans athletes and the high tension in the state following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official’s killing of Renee Good. She also referenced alleged social services fraud in the state being investigated by President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump and Co. have used the accusations to attack the Somali community as a whole after dozens of Somali immigrants were charged in the scandal.
“When leaders are prepared and accountable, teams succeed,” Tafoya, who hosted a conservative podcast in recent years, said in a video posted to X. “When they aren’t, people pay the price. … I see massive government fraud exploding on [Gov.] Tim Walz’s watch, ripping off taxpayers and embarrassing our state. … I see radical ideologies being forced into our schools and sports, putting young women and their teammates in danger. I see politicians undermining and attacking police officers. … And I see middle-class families paying more while working harder just to stay afloat.”
The latter claim could play into Democrats’ hands because the economic burden has dogged Trump’s second presidency.
However, The Hill noted that Tafoya’s campaign would push Democrats to invest in the race even though a Republican has not won a statewide election since then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty won a second term in 2006.
Democrats such as Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are also running to replace the retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. The race could prove critical in Democrats’ bid to retake the Senate in 2026.
Tafoya was hired by NBC in 2011; the last football game she covered was the Super Bowl in early 2022.
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