NFL Media Legend Considering Run For US Senate: REPORT

dailycaller.com

Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, who is now a political analyst, is reportedly weighing a bid for the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota, according to sources cited by OutKick. Insiders indicate she plans to finalize her decision at the beginning of 2026.

Tafoya recently traveled to Washington, D.C. where she met with officials from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate Leadership Fund, as well as other stakeholders. According to OutKick, the NRSC has actively recruited her for the Minnesota Senate race, which features a competitive Democratic primary between progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig, who has drawn support from party establishment figure Sen. Chuck Schumer. (RELATED: Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Issues Apology For ‘Smear The Queer’ Comment, But Honestly, Who Cares?)

Tafoya stepped away from her role at NBC to freely express her conservative views. A pivotal moment came in Dec. 2021 when she was on “The View” as the conservative voice. The panel backed disgraced NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protests against the national anthem and him comparing the league to a slave auction, while Tafoya pushed back.

“I’ve been covering the NFL for 25 years,” said Tafoya at that time, per OutKick. “Nobody forces these guys to play. I thought comparing it to the slave trade was a little rough. These guys enter willingly, they are the most well cared for people. Yes, they play a hard sport. And every one of them — black, white, Latino, whoever’s playing the sport — will tell you how much they love it, and they’re willing to do it, and they make a damn good living.”

Tafoya made the announcement in Feb. 2022 that she had the ambition to pursue other opportunities in her career. Not long after, she joined Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls’ campaign as co-chair during his 2022 bid to challenge incumbent Gov. Tim Walz.