Peggy Flanagan (left) and Michele Tafoya (right).
(FOX 9) - Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and former sportscaster Michele Tafoya are facing off for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat, in a critical race as Democrats fight for control of the U.S. Senate.
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Minnesota Senate election results
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Control of Senate
By the numbers:
Democrats need to pick up four seats in this election to win the Senate. Both of Minnesota’s Senate seats are currently held by Democrats, but with Tina Smith retiring and Amy Klobuchar potentially leaving for the governorship after the election, Republicans will have an opening to win back a seat.
A SurveyUSA poll in mid-October showed Flanagan with a slight lead over Tafoya after a previous poll showed the race as even. The Cook Political Report also shifted the race toward more of a toss-up in October, going from "likely Democrat" to "lean Democrat."
Days before, Tafoya received the endorsement of President Donald Trump in the race – an endorsement the Flanagan campaign seized at and Tafoya seemed to shy away from.
Who is Peggy Flanagan?
Peggy Flanagan has served as lieutenant governor since January 2019. She previously served in the Minnesota House and on the Minneapolis school board. She became the youngest person ever to serve on the Minneapolis school board, being elected at the age of 25.
Flanagan also served as executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund in Minnesota. In the legislature, she helped for the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus. She is a University of Minnesota graduate and lives with her husband and daughter in St. Louis Park.
Who is Michele Tafoya?
Michele Tafoya was a longtime sideline reporter for the NFL for both Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football. She covered five Super Bowls over her career, retiring after her final one in 2022. At the end of her career, she had covered more NFL games than any other reporter.
After exiting football, she launched a podcast and YouTube channel that focused heavily on politics.
Who else is in the race?
Two third-party candidates are also vying for the open Senate seat in Minnesota. Marisa Simonetti is running as an independent and Rebecca Whiting is running as the Libertarian candidate for the seat.
Marisa Simonetti
Simonetti previously made headlines during her run for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners after she was arrested for a dispute with her roommate where she was accused of throwing a tarantula. Simonetti was convicted just this past summer on charges related to that incident including harassment and domestic assault. She was ultimately sentenced to serve 90 days in the county workhouse.
According to an archived version of her campaign site, which is currently defunct, Simonetti describes herself as a mother and businesswoman who holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.
Rebecca Whiting
Whiting lists herself as a Christian, wife, mother to a large family, and an Army combat veteran on her campaign website. According to her site, she served two tours of duty in Iraq in the 2000s, serving as a medic.
Whiting lives with her family in Bemidji on a family farm.
The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press' election results, campaign websites and previous FOX 9 reporting.