Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya won the Minnesota GOP primary for U.S. Senate Tuesday, defeating the Republican Party-endorsed Adam Schwarze, a former Navy SEAL, and the 2024 U.S. Senate candidate and former NBA basketball player Royce White.
The Associated Press called the race for Tafoya Tuesday night. With 39% of the precincts reporting she had 53% of the vote percent to Schwarze’s 24% and White’s 11%. The rest of the vote went to six other candidates who garnered support in the single digits.
In a statement Tuesday night Tafoya said the state was heading in the wrong direction.
“Minnesota is going 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction after years of single-party rule,” Tafoya said. “They’ve turned our state into a national embarrassment. I love this state. My husband and I fell in love here, raised our family here, and built our lives here. I will not sit by and let the state we call home become a laughingstock.”
She added: “This isn’t about red versus blue. It’s common sense versus crazy. We will not reelect politicians who let criminals steal billions and treat accountability as optional. We deserve better, and it’s time we demand better.”
Tafoya, who launched her campaign last January, had been seen by many as the top contender for the Republican nomination. Democrats have recognized her as the most likely GOP nominee.
Tafoya was previously known for her work from 2011-2022 as a sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. She’s also hosted a political podcast.
In her campaign announcement last January Tafoya mentioned the ongoing immigration crackdown in Minnesota, making clear that she stood with federal law enforcement. She also criticized Gov. Tim Walz for the fraud in Minnesota social service programs that had occurred under his administration.
The last Republican U.S. senator from Minnesota was Norm Coleman, who served from 2003, to 2009. He lost his 2008 reelection bid to Democrat Al Franken.