Republican Senate candidate: Voters say ‘it’s embarrassing’ to be from Minnesota

Republican Senate candidate: Voters say ‘it’s embarrassing’ to be from Minnesota

Republican Senate candidate Michele Tafoya, a former sportscaster, said Wednesday that voters told her it was "embarrassing" to be from Minnesota, amid progressive candidates' wins across the state.

In an appearance on Fox News's "America Reports," host John Roberts asked Tafoya about polling that showed her trailing her opponent, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive who netted the Democratic nomination.

"The cards are stacked against you, it would seem," Roberts said. "No question, you've got a big hill to climb there."

"Minnesotans are exhausted, and John, quite frankly, they're embarrassed. I have talked to hundreds of voters in Minnesota who have told me, 'Gosh, I went on vacation this summer. I didn't want to tell people where I was from because it's embarrassing.' And it's true," she said, detailing how Democrats in the North Star State are wary of shifts in the party toward socialism.

Democrats are set to begin the Minnesota Senate general election with an advantage, according to the early polling from Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. It did not poll specific candidates but reported that Democrats lead Republicans on the generic ballot in the Senate race, 49 percent to 41 percent.

Flanagan is backed by Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), who chose not to seek reelection, and has also received support from progressive leaders, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

She has been outspoken on the campaign trail for universal healthcare and ending U.S. military aid for Israel.

Flanagan served as lieutenant governor during the state's widespread money laundering scheme, which is estimated to have stolen as much as roughly $9 billion and could present problems for Flanagan come November.

National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) issued a statement in support of Tafoya, saying "Peggy Flanagan oversaw the worst fraud scandal in modern American history and is now running as one of the most radical socialist Senate candidates on the map."

When Flanagan won, Democratic leadership released a statement that took shots at remarks Tafoya made about the rising price of gas.

"I think right now at least just kind of keeping a stiff upper lip. Maybe you take one less trip to Starbucks and so that gas goes a little further," Tafoya told Tennessee's KWAM radio in March.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate Minority Leader, called Tafoya "a wealthy Republican activist" out of touch with "struggling Minnesotans."

Should Tafoya win, it would be the first time in 20 years a Republican has held a Senate seat in Minnesota.

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