Michele Tafoya gets Trump's backing in Minnesota Senate race between two women
Representative image: JamesDeMers / Pixabay
Trump endorsed Republican Michele Tafoya on October 12, 2026 in Minnesota's Senate race, where she trails Democrat Peggy Flanagan 43% to 47% in the latest state poll.
What Happened
US President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Michele Tafoya in Minnesota's US Senate race at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on the night of Monday, October 12, 2026, three weeks before the November 3 election. Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter, is running against Democrat Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith. With both major-party nominees women, the contest guarantees that Minnesota will send a woman to the Senate for this seat. Tafoya gave the endorsement a cool response, and the latest Star Tribune/KARE 11 poll shows Flanagan ahead by four points.
Key Facts
- Trump endorsed Michele Tafoya at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday, October 12, 2026.
- Tafoya, the Republican nominee and a former NFL sideline reporter, faces Democratic Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.
- The seat is open because Democratic Senator Tina Smith is not seeking re-election; the election is on November 3, 2026.
- A Star Tribune/KARE 11 poll by Mason-Dixon, taken October 5 to 7 among 800 likely voters, had Flanagan at 47% and Tafoya at 43%, with 9% undecided and a margin of error of 3.5 points.
- Tafoya led among independents in that poll, 38% to 32%.
- Asked about the endorsement, Tafoya said she had "heard about that"; she has pitched herself as an independent voice.
- No Republican has won a US Senate election in Minnesota since Norm Coleman in 2002.
Why It Matters
The Minnesota race is a Senate contest in which both parties have chosen women, and the two candidates reached this point by very different routes. Flanagan rose through state politics to become lieutenant governor, while Tafoya built a national profile in sports broadcasting before turning to politics. Their race offers a clear look at two of the paths women now take into high office: the long climb through party and government, and the jump from a public career outside politics.
The endorsement puts Tafoya in an awkward spot. She has run as someone willing to break with her own side and recently released a television advertisement stressing her readiness to disagree with party leaders and elected officials, including the president. She once urged Trump not to run for president again. Her muted reaction to his backing, saying only that she had heard about it, reflects the balance she is trying to strike in a state that has not elected a Republican senator in more than two decades. At the same rally, Trump questioned the integrity of Minnesota's elections, saying he "thought I won Minnesota three times".
Democrats moved quickly to tie her to him. Smith said Trump had endorsed Tafoya because he knew she would do what he wanted, and Flanagan has framed the race as a choice against what she calls "Trump's chaos and cruelty". Tafoya's views on abortion have also come under scrutiny in recent days.
The numbers show why both sides are paying attention. Flanagan's lead rests largely on Hennepin and Ramsey counties, where she was ahead 63% to 26%. Tafoya led in the rest of the state, by 54% to 37% in the north and 55% to 38% in the south. Another recent survey, by InsiderAdvantage, put the race at 46% to 45%.
| Poll | Flanagan | Tafoya |
|---|---|---|
| Star Tribune/KARE 11 (Mason-Dixon), Oct 5-7 | 47% | 43% |
| InsiderAdvantage | 46% | 45% |
| Independents, Star Tribune/KARE 11 | 32% | 38% |
Impact
Short-term: The endorsement could help Tafoya with Republican voters outside Hennepin and Ramsey counties but could also make it harder for Tafoya to win over the independents she currently leads. Both campaigns now have three weeks to move the roughly one in ten voters who were undecided in the latest poll.
Long-term: Whoever wins, the seat will be held by a woman, keeping up the number of women in the Senate. The race will also be read as a test of whether a candidate from outside politics, with a well-known public profile, can win a statewide Senate seat in a state that has leaned Democratic for years.
Who is affected: Minnesota voters, the national parties fighting for control of the Senate, and women candidates and organisations that track how women fare in high-profile races.
Key Takeaway
Trump's endorsement of Michele Tafoya sharpens Minnesota's all-woman Senate race, but she still trails Peggy Flanagan by four points three weeks before voting.
Questions and Answers
Who is Michele Tafoya?
Michele Tafoya is the Republican nominee for the US Senate in Minnesota and a former NFL sideline reporter. Trump endorsed her at a rally in Ohio on October 12, 2026.
Who is she running against?
Democrat Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor. They are competing for the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith in the election on November 3, 2026.
Who is ahead in the Minnesota Senate race?
Flanagan led 47% to 43% in a Star Tribune/KARE 11 poll of 800 likely voters taken October 5 to 7, with 9% undecided. Tafoya led among independents, 38% to 32%.
How did Tafoya react to Trump's endorsement?
She responded coolly, saying she had "heard about that". She has presented herself as an independent voice and had recently run an advertisement stressing her willingness to disagree with party leaders, including the president.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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