Republican Michele Tafoya is keeping her distance from President Trump, even after he endorsed her bid for U.S. Senate in Minnesota last week.
Asked for her reaction to the endorsement, Tafoya said, “There is one endorsement that I care about and that is the one that happens on Nov. 3; truly, this is about Minnesota.”
The race is expected to be one of the closest in the country. The Real Clear Politics average of polls has DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan ahead of Tafoya 46.2% to 43.3%, a 2.9 percentage point lead that is within the margin of error.
The endorsement comes as Tafoya has been working to separate herself from Mr. Trump. She initially supported Operation Metro Surge but is now sharply critical of how it was carried out. She also says the war with Iran, which she had backed, needs to end now because it is hurting Minnesotans, with gas and diesel prices rising.
“I am happy to say I will stand up to my party when I believe in something,” Tafoya said.
Flanagan has accused Tafoya of reinventing herself on Operation Metro Surge and other issues, including Tafoya’s earlier support for the Iran war.
Flanagan won the August DFL primary by nearly 20 points, after Rep. Angie Craig publicly regretted her vote for the Laken Riley Act.
Tafoya plans to keep going after Flanagan over the fraud cases in the Walz administration.
“I am going to Washington to be an equal opportunity pain in the ass to every corrupt politician regardless of party, regardless of stature,” she said.
Tafoya must avoid alienating Trump supporters while still appealing to independents. That balancing act could face a test: Mr. Trump has suggested he may schedule visits to Minnesota before the election.
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