Michele Tafoya
R · U.S. Senate, Minnesota · Tier 1/2
Tier 1/2, between “Firmly pro-Israel” and “Mainstream pro-Israel”
Former NBC Sunday Night Football sideline reporter, the Republican nominee against Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for the open seat. Asked about the 2026 Iran war in July 2026, she told Alpha News “I support the President doing what was long overdue to protect American lives along with Israel and our allies,” while ruling out ground troops; in February 2025 she posted a video headlined “Why Is a Hamas Leader's Daughter Studying at Georgetown?” Her campaign issue pages do not mention Israel or Gaza. At the October 16, 2026 debate she said “I stand with Israel” and “calling it a genocide is an absolute misrepresentation.”
A 1/2, on a thin record: one written answer, about the Iran war, and one debate exchange on Gaza. Asked by Alpha News in July 2026 about the war, she said “I support the President doing what was long overdue to protect American lives along with Israel and our allies,” while ruling out ground troops. That is support for U.S. military action framed in part as protecting Israel, with no leadership on the issue and no word of concern for Palestinian civilians. She has stated no position of her own on U.S. military aid to Israel or weapons, and her campaign issues page does not mention Israel, Gaza or Palestine. At the October 16, 2026 debate with Flanagan she said “I stand with Israel” and denied the genocide: “It is not a genocide when you offer medicines to those people and send in life-saving water and food and nutrition to those people, when you drop leaflets to let them know what is coming, that is not a genocide.” Beyond the answer and the debate, the record holds one February 2025 post, a video headlined “Why Is a Hamas Leader’s Daughter Studying at Georgetown?”
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elect26 places 2026 midterm candidates on a six-tier spectrum, from 1 (most pro-Israel) to 6 (most critical of Israel).