Stephen A. Smith isn’t the only person considering a sports to politics pivot, with Michele Tafoya mulling a run for Senate in Minnesota.
Last week, Democratic Senator Tina Smith announced plans to retire in 2026, opting not to run for another six-year term. The decision means Minnesota will have an open seat in the next election and apparently, Republicans have called for Tafoya to consider filling the void.
“When Tina Smith made her announcement, my phone practically exploded. I’ve been talking to everyone from Tim Scott (R-SC) to people here locally, people in the establishment, but the ultimate thing for me is my family,” Tafoya said, according to WDAY Radio. “I think Minnesota is starving for a moderate Republican who doesn’t tell them that they’re going to ban abortion who is the antithesis of the Tim Walz regime.”
The former ESPN and NBC sideline reporter left sports in 2022 after working Super Bowl LVI and has since launched her own podcast, which frequently delves into political and social topics. Shortly after Tafoya left NBC Sports three years ago, she immediately began serving as the co-chair of a political campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls, who ultimately lost the GOP primary.
Tafoya, who has described herself as a “pro-choice conservative with libertarian leanings,” says she’s 90 percent of the way toward a decision on whether to run for Senate. The former sportscaster has, however, suggested other candidates to fill the seat, including Qualls and TV reporter Liz Collin, which would imply she’s not ready to enter the race herself.
After losing Tina Smith to retirement in Minnesota, Democrats will be defending 13 of the 35 senate seats on the 2026 ballot.