NFL reporter Tafoya eyeing GOP U.S. Senate run
Adam Schwarze announced last week that he will be running for the open seat.
By Hank Long, Alpha News – February 20, 2025
It’s been less than a week since Democrat U.S. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced she will not run for reelection in 2026. And while a handful of Smith’s DFL colleagues have expressed interest in replacing her, potential Republican challengers are also emerging.
Michele Tafoya told a Fargo talk radio station she is “90 percent of the way there” in making a decision on whether to run for U.S. Senate in 2026.
Tafoya has dipped her toes in the political waters the last couple of election cycles after leaving a successful career as a national sports TV journalist and radio host. She has publicly backed Republicans for office in Minnesota in recent years.
While making an appearance on the Steve Hallstrom Show this week, Tafoya was asked if she has “given any thought” to running for U.S. Senate since Smith announced she won’t seek a second full term.
“I have given a ton of thought to it over the last number of years, and you know, believe me, when Tina Smith made her announcement my phone practically exploded,” Tafoya said. “And I have been talking to everyone from [U.S. Sen.] Tim Scott to people here locally, to people here kind of in the establishment, but the ultimate thing for me is my family.”
“Some of us really do put our families first, and I have always been that way,” Tafoya added. “Have I considered it? I have considered it a lot. Have I made a definite decision? I would say I am 90 percent of the way there.”
Other Republicans looking into 2026 U.S. Senate run
Tafoya’s comments follow speculation that other notable Republicans at the Minnesota Capitol are taking a serious look at vying for the open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.
The Associated Press reported several other names that are in the mix, including state Rep. Kristin Robbins and state Sens. Karin Housley and Julia Coleman. Housley lost a challenge to Smith in 2018. Coleman is the daughter-in-law of former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman.
Royce White, who lost his U.S. Senate bid to incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar by double digits in November, has said he plans to run again in 2026. Another recent Republican candidate for Congress, Adam Schwarze, announced his candidacy for Senate last week.
“I was already planning to run for U.S. Senate to replace Tina Smith’s radical voice in Washington, but today, with the good news that she is not running for re-election, I want to alert my fellow Minnesotans that they have a real opportunity to elect a common-sense, proven leader—one who puts people before politics and solutions before soundbites,” said Schwarze, a Marine and Navy SEAL veteran.
Flanagan, Craig among potential Democrats running
On the Democrat side, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Congresswoman Angie Craig have already said they are seriously considering running to replace Smith. Former Congressman (and one-time primary challenger to President Joe Biden) Dean Phillips has told multiple outlets he doesn’t plan to run for the seat.
Others considering a run include Gov. Tim Walz, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, according to the Associated Press.
PHOTO: Former NBC sports reporter Michele Tafoya at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in 2015. | Shutterstock