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From the NFL sidelines to a US Senate race: Michele Tafoya’s new play

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 1 min read 100% complete by By  STEVE KARNOWSKIJanuary 21, 2026 at 03:53 PM
From the NFL sidelines to a US Senate race: Michele Tafoya’s new play
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Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota, seeking the Republican nomination. The seat is being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith. Tafoya, known for her work with NBC's Sunday Night Football from 2011-2022, highlighted her experience with leadership and accountability in her campaign launch video. She joins other Republicans vying for the nomination, including Royce White, Adam Schwarze, and Tom Weiler. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are competing for their party’s nomination to succeed Smith, who announced her retirement in February.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context
NBC 40% Tom Weiler 50% Adam Schwarze 50% Royce White 60% Angie Craig 60% Peggy Flanagan 60% Amy Klobuchar 60% United States Senate 70% Tina Smith ×270% Minnesota ×280% Michele Tafoya ×390%

Keywords

us senate race 100% michele tafoya 90% republican nomination 80% minnesota 70% nfl sideline reporter 60% politics 50% tina smith 50% election 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral
Score: 0.05

Source Transparency

Source
Associated Press (AP)
Political Lean
Center (0.00)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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us senate racemichele tafoyarepublican nominationminnesotanfl sideline reporterpoliticstina smithelection
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