Former NBC soccer reporter Michele Tafoya stated she’s “not gonna keep on the sidelines any longer,” launching her Republican bid early Wednesday for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
Tafoya, a “Sunday Night time Soccer” staple as an on-field commentator till 2022, had already tipped her hand by filing paperwork for a potential run. She made it official in a video (watch it under) leaning in to right-wing speaking factors on trans athletes and the excessive rigidity within the state following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official’s killing of Renee Good. She additionally referenced alleged social services fraud within the state being investigated by President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump and Co. have used the accusations to assault the Somali neighborhood as a complete after dozens of Somali immigrants had been charged within the scandal.
“When leaders are ready and accountable, groups succeed,” Tafoya, who hosted a conservative podcast in recent times, stated in a video posted to X. “After they aren’t, individuals pay the worth. … I see huge authorities fraud exploding on [Gov.] Tim Walz’s watch, ripping off taxpayers and embarrassing our state. … I see radical ideologies being compelled into our colleges and sports activities, placing younger girls and their teammates in peril. I see politicians undermining and attacking cops. … And I see middle-class households paying extra whereas working more durable simply to remain afloat.”
The latter declare may play into Democrats’ palms as a result of the financial burden has dogged Trump’s second presidency.
Nonetheless, The Hill noted that Tafoya’s marketing campaign would push Democrats to put money into the race though a Republican has not gained a statewide election since then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty gained a second time period in 2006.
Democrats comparable to Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are additionally operating to interchange the retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. The race may show crucial in Democrats’ bid to retake the Senate in 2026.
Tafoya was hired by NBC in 2011; the final soccer recreation she lined was the Tremendous Bowl in early 2022.
