Two well-known Minnesotans, one a long-time politician and the other a political newcomer, shook up the Minnesota midterm election within two days of each other.
On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar filed paperwork to create a campaign finance committee for a potential governor’s race. As a four-term U.S. senator with a history of double-digit victories since 2006, she immediately would become the frontrunner for governor if she runs in 2026.
RELATED: Klobuchar files campaign paperwork for Minnesota governor
“On the Democrat side, of course,” Republican political analyst Brian McDaniel said Friday during a recording of “At Issue with Tom Hauser,” adding one caveat. “I think that just by how many statewide elections she has won, she has proven that she is an attractive candidate to wide swaths of people. But is in no way impervious to being defeated.”
Former DFL Sen. Ember Reichgott Junge says she thinks Klobuchar would be the clear favorite. “She’s the right candidate at the right time. She can bring people together. She’s popular in all the 87 counties, and she was a prosecutor, so she can be front and center on trying to structure that fraud prevention response.”
The other big development is in the U.S. Senate race for the seat now held by Democrat Tina Smith. Former NFL sideline reporter and current podcaster, Michele Tafoya, officially announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination.
RELATED: Ex-sports reporter Michele Tafoya launches bid for US Senate seat in Minnesota
“I certainly think she’s the most electable out of everybody who is in,” says McDaniel. “She is a pro-choice person, which sometimes doesn’t play all that well with Republican delegates, but I think she’ll do a good job fundraising, and she will be popular.”
Reichgott Junge says Tafoya’s first challenge will be winning over Republican delegates and/or primary voters. “It’s going to be a question of if she can get out of the Republican primary because she is for abortion rights,” she says. “If she does, it’s a toss-up.”
You can see more of our analysis of this race and more of the week’s political news on “At Issue” Sunday at 10 a.m.