Michele Tafoya Wins 8-Way Minnesota GOP Senate Primary, Sets Up November Race
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20
Michele Tafoya Wins 8-Way Minnesota GOP Senate Primary, Sets Up November Race
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20
Summary
Michele Tafoya, 61, captured Minnesota’s Republican Senate nomination after defeating eight rivals, including party-endorsed Adam Schwarze and former NBA player Royce White.
November’s general election will pit the former NBC sideline reporter against Democratic Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who currently leads Tafoya by 7 points in recent polling.
Minnesota Republicans see Tafoya as a stronger statewide contender because her name recognition and recent fundraising gains could help her compete in a state that has not elected a Republican senator in 24 years.
Tafoya has recast herself from sports broadcaster to conservative candidate, pairing a hard line on immigration, policing and culture-war issues with a more moderate 12-week abortion position aimed at independents.
A Tafoya upset would test whether celebrity appeal and a polished, less overtly MAGA style can expand Republican reach in deeply blue Minnesota.