Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster for CBS, ESPN, ABC and NBC, is the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Michele Tafoya.
Live News
Recent media coverage for Michele Tafoya.
-
Peggy Flanagan, Michele Tafoya set for their first senate debate on Politics Friday
Michele Tafoya is scheduled to participate in her first Minnesota Senate debate against Peggy Flanagan, as discussed on MPR News’ Politics Friday.
-
Flanagan v. Tafoya: What to know about the U.S. Senate race
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR)
Flanagan -
The five biggest takeaways from the MN Poll
Good morning! It’s a Minnesota Poll special edition. We’re digging into the numbers behind the headlines, including what voters think about election security and why so many worry AI could destroy humanity.
-
Hottest 2026 Midterm Races: Democrats Turek and Flanagan Lead In Iowa, Minnesota (Updated Daily)
Michele Tafoya is the Republican challenger in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race. In the latest polls highlighted, Tafoya trails Democrat Peggy Flanagan by about three points, with Flanagan polling 45% to Tafoya’s 42% (poll…
-
Michele Tafoya closes the gap with Flanagan in Minnesota Senate race
"The more that Minnesotans learn about me and my opponent and see what my opponent has failed to do over the last eight years alongside [Democratic Gov.] Tim Walz, they're understanding Minnesota needs change.
Fox NewsFlanagan
More coverage 4
-
Tafoya Drops 5-Point Crime Plan on Flanagan and Delivers a Jab at Trump's Minnesota Mess
Republican Senate nominee Michele Tafoya, the former NBC Sports sideline reporter turned first-time candidate, planted her closing flag squarely on crime Tuesday, unveiling a five-point public safety plan at the…
-
Trump Endorses Tafoya, Flanagan Up 4 Points In New Poll
Detroit Lakes , MN (KDLM)- President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Republican Michele Tafoya in the Minnesota U.S. Senate race that will replace retiring U.S. Senator Tina Smith.
-
Michele Tafoya says she’s ‘pro-choice,’ despite record on abortion
Peggy Flanagan: Michele Tafoya would be a ‘yes, sir’ senator for Trump August 13, 2026 / 11:22
ms.now
Nordone -
Small Business Advocacy Group Endorses Michele Tafoya for U.S. Senate
Michele Tafoya, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, arrives to vote on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- December 17, 1964
- Birthplace
- Manhattan Beach, California
- Education
- Aviation High School, Redondo Beach
Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach
University of California, Berkeley (Bachelor of Arts in mass communications, 1988)
University of Southern California (master's degree in business administration, 1991)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Michele Joan Tafoya was born on December 17, 1964, in Manhattan Beach, California, to Orlando Tafoya and Wilma Tafoya (née Conley). Her high schools were Aviation High School in Redondo Beach and Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.
She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in mass communications and received an MBA from the University of Southern California in 1991. She and her husband, Mark Vandersall, live in Edina, Minnesota, with their adopted daughter.
Career
Tafoya's sports broadcasting work included jobs in Minneapolis with KFAN-AM, the Midwest Sports Channel and WCCO-TV, and in Charlotte with WAQS.
In September 1994 she moved to CBS Sports, covering college basketball, college football and the NFL and co-hosting late-night Olympic coverage from Nagano in 1998; in 1997 she received a Gracie Award for calling WNBA play-by-play on Lifetime Television.
In January 2000 she joined ABC Sports and ESPN, where she worked as a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football and for NBA broadcasts. From 2011 to 2022 she reported from the sidelines of NBC Sunday Night Football, closing her NBC tenure with Super Bowl LVI.
She also hosted afternoon radio on WCCO-AM from 2009 to 2012 and co-hosted the KQRS-FM morning show from 2016 to 2020.
After leaving sportscasting, Tafoya took up conservative political consulting and made television appearances on politics and culture. In February 2022 she became co-chair of Kendall Qualls's campaign for governor of Minnesota.
2026 race
Tafoya announced her candidacy on January 21, 2026, for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Tina Smith, who is leaving the Senate at the end of her term, making the race the first Minnesota Senate election without an incumbent since 2006.
She secured the Republican nomination with 52.1%, defeating Adam Schwarze, a Navy SEAL, and Royce White, a former basketball player. Her Democratic opponent on November 3, 2026, is Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who won the August 11 primary.