Former NBC NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has announced that she is launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
Tafoya says she will run as a Republican for the seat currently held by Democrat Tina Smith, who announced last year that she would not run for reelection in the midterms.
“For too long, hardworking people have been ripped off by criminals, corporations, and career politicians, and the people doing everything right are the ones paying the biggest price,” Tafoya said in a video posted to X. “Well, I’m not going to stay on the sidelines any longer.”
Tafoya, a staunch supporter of President Trump, may have the best name recognition among the large number of Republicans who have announced their intentions to run for the open Senate seat. Other Republicans vying for the seat include Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann, 2024 GOP nominee for U.S. Senate Royce White, and Navy Seal Adam Schwarze.
Still, precinct caucuses are Feb. 3, so Tafoya has very little time to get her campaign up and running.
Tafoya retired from NBC in 2022 and immediately joined the campaign of Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls.
Tafoya’s last assignment for NBC was Super Bowl LVI, but she wasted no time taking on her new life in GOP politics after leaving the sports mic behind.
“I got to a point in my life where I wanted to try other things, and there are some things that are really important to me,” Tafoya said after leaving NBC. “This is not to say that sports isn’t an important field, that my job isn’t an important job. But in my position, I was not as free to be as vocal about world events that I’m concerned about.”
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