Once a Super Bowl sideline star, Tafoya now at the center of GOP’s bold play for Minnesota Senate seat
The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is eyeing blue-leaning Minnesota as he aims to not only defend but expand the GOP's current 53-47 Senate majority in next...
By Fox News · Fox News
The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is eyeing blue-leaning Minnesota as he aims to not only defend but expand the GOP's current 53-47 Senate majority in next year's midterms — and the party is gearing up for a bold play with help from a former sports broadcaster. "We're excited about expanding our map, and Minnesota is one of the target states that we're looking at," NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott highlighted in a Fox News Digital interview this week. Scott's comments come as former professional football sideline reporter turned political activist and commentator Michele Tafoya inches closer to launching a 2026 Republican Senate campaign. DEMOCRATIC SEN. TINA SMITH ANNOUNCES SHE WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026 It's been nearly a quarter-century since Republicans last won a Senate election in Minnesota . You've got to go back to then-GOP Sen. Norm Coleman’s 2002 re-election. But President Donald Trump narrowed the margins in the state last year, losing Minnesota by less than four-and-a-half points in his White House re-election. THE GOP'S TAKE ON HIGH-PROFILE SENATE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES: 'THEY'RE IN SHAMBLES' "We see real reasons to be optimistic. President Trump was very close in Minnesota. It's a four-point race. We know with the right candidate, we will be successful," Scott emphasized. Tafoya might be that candidate. She met last week with the NRSC, which has been recruiting her to jump into the race, sources confirmed to Fox News Digital. And as first reported by OutKick , Tafoya is expected to make a final decision early next year on whether to launch a Senate campaign. Apparently pointing to Tafoya, Scott suggested Republicans are likely to land "a strong candidate in the race," and teased "wait and see" for "better news." Tafoya, a longtime NFL sideline reporter and announcer, gave up her career at NBC Sports in 2022 as she became more politically active, saying at the time that she wanted to pursue other opportunities. She served as c…