Michele Tafoya, the former prominent sports broadcaster known for her sideline reporting on “Sunday Night Football,” has announced she plans to run for the U.S. Senate.
“I am not going to stay on the sidelines any longer,” she said in a video posted on X. “Today I am running for the United States Senate.”
Tafoya will run as a Republican and is seeking to win the Minnesota seat held by Democrat Tina Smith, who is not seeking re-election. Tafoya had met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in Washington, D.C., and the group worked to recruit her to join the race, according to people familiar with the committee’s conversations.
Tafoya picked up immediate support from Republicans’ campaign arm and its leader, Sen. Tim Scott, according to Politico.
Democrat Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan have also joined the race.
In her video, Tafoya said she will ask the “tough questions” and demand answers to issues that are front and center for many Minnesotans, including fraud, rising prices for food and housing, attacks on law enforcement, and transgender girls in sports.
“It’s embarrassing our state,” Tafoya said. “For years, I walked the sidelines when pressure was mounting and the stakes were the highest. It taught me how leadership really works. I am ready to lead.”
