Michele Tafoya Wins Minnesota Republican Senate Primary
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Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya secured the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, defeating two opponents in a primary with about one-fifth of votes counted.
Michele Tafoya, a former sportscaster who spent more than a decade covering the NFL for ABC, ESPN and NBC, won the Minnesota Republican Senate primary on Tuesday, receiving 51% of the vote as counted. She outpaced former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, who earned 22%, and former professional basketball player Royce White, who received 9%, with roughly 20% of ballots tallied.
Tafoya entered the race after Democratic incumbent Sen. Tina Smith announced she would not seek re-election. Campaigning as a political outsider, she emphasized a platform of “common sense” policies and pledged to address fraud, immigration and other issues. The National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed her candidacy.
"Minnesota is in play," Tafoya wrote on X shortly before polls closed, adding that the seat could be flipped in November.
President Donald Trump did not publicly endorse Tafoya, and at the state party convention in May, Minnesota Republicans endorsed Schwarze instead. Tafoya’s background includes early work at Minneapolis radio station KFAN before joining CBS in 1994.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican senator since 2002. Tafoya is expected to face either Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan or Rep. Angie Craig, both Democrats, in the November general election.