Former ABC Monday Night Football and NBC Sunday Night Football reporter Michele Tafoya is jumping into politics.
Tafoya announced Wednesday that she is running for the U.S. Senate in her home state of Minnesota, saying she spent years working under pressure on the sidelines and is now ready to take that experience to Washington.
The race is for an open seat. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is not seeking reelection in November, setting up one of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 midterms.
Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate and are looking to defend that edge as President Donald Trump enters his final two years of his second term. There are 35 Senate seats up for election this fall, with Republicans defending 22 and Democrats defending 13.
Tafoya launches campaign on X
In a nearly three-minute campaign video on X, Tafoya laid out themes that will anchor her run, including combating fraud in Minnesota, backing law enforcement, keeping women’s sports for female athletes and lowering the cost of living.
For years, I walked the sidelines when the stakes were the highest, and that job taught me how leadership really works.
— Michele Tafoya (@Michele_Tafoya) January 21, 2026
I’m running for U.S. Senate to bring that experience to Washington and deliver the real results Minnesota deserves. pic.twitter.com/vDbHWpAXg9
The video references recent unrest involving ICE officers and protestors in Minneapolis. Tafoya says the “pressure is mounting again” as the ad shows clips of clashes between ICE and demonstrators, with an on-screen banner reading “Twin Cities on Edge.”
Crowded Republican field
The 61-year-old Tafoya is not alone on the Republican side.
Former NBA player and 2024 GOP Senate nominee Royce White is already in the race, along with former Navy Seal Adam Schwarze, and former Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann.
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, quickly endorsed Tafoya. He told Politico that she is “the only candidate with the common-sense leadership Minnesotans are desperately craving, and her message of safety, opportunity, and prosperity would be a welcome addition to our Senate majority.”
Democratic contenders and Minnesota’s Senate history
On the Democratic side, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig have both announced bids, according to Ballotpedia.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since Norm Coleman in 2002. Coleman served one term. The state’s current senators – Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar – are both Democrats. Minnesota’s eight U.S. House seats are evenly split, four Democrats and four Republicans.
Kamala Harris carried Minnesota and its 10 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election.
The Minnesota primary is scheduled for Aug. 11.
