The race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Minnesota is among the state’s most-watched primaries this year.
Right now, the clear frontrunner in the Republican U.S. Senate primary is Michele Tafoya, a former sportscaster who has raised significant sums of money and has polled far in front of her Republican opponents.
Royce White, a former NBA player and 2024 GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, is also running, as is Adam Schwarze, a retired Navy SEAL who won the Republican endorsement for U.S. Senate earlier this year.
While those three candidates have dominated the news cycle surrounding the GOP primary, another Republican, Tom Weiler, is actually polling above Schwarze.
A Navy veteran who served for 20 years, Weiler was a submarine officer who retired in 2021 due to an early-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis. He is a graduate of Eden Prairie High School and the University of Notre Dame and lives in Eden Prairie with his family.
Last month, a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll showed Weiler polling ahead of the GOP-endorsed candidate in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. Tafoya polled first with 41%, White was in second with 10%, and “another Republican” polled third with 8%.
Meanwhile, Weiler polled at 7%, and Schwarze was at 5%.
Alpha News has profiled the other three Republican U.S. Senate candidates and recently sent a series of questions to Weiler about his campaign and candidacy. Weiler submitted written answers to those questions.
“I am running for the United States Senate to solve problems within our federal and state governments that will improve the lives of Minnesotans,” Weiler told Alpha News.
Weiler said his service in the military “has enabled me to develop the experiences, understanding, leadership ability, and problem-solving acumen to best serve Minnesotans and be the most effective champion for Minnesotans’ concerns in Washington, D.C.”
Asked how he would overcome Tafoya’s significant lead in fundraising and polling to win the Republican nomination, Weiler answered: “The power of the people.”
“It’s not polling or fundraising that wins races, it’s listening, connecting, and discussing solutions with Minnesotans and earning their vote,” he added. “I have received phenomenal support at nearly ever speaking event and town hall I have conducted around the state.”
Weiler also discussed the SAVE Act in his written answers to Alpha News.
The SAVE Act has become one of the most widely-discussed political issues in the country in recent days. The proposed law, and its various alternative versions, would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote in federal elections.
Democrats are opposed to the SAVE Act while the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has passed it. However, the SAVE Act has stalled in the Senate because of a rule which requires bills to get 60 votes to advance. That rule is known as the filibuster.
Weiler told Alpha News he supports eliminating the U.S. Senate filibuster in order to pass the SAVE Act, a position shared by President Donald Trump and many Republican senators and U.S. Senate candidates.
“I believe increasing protection and security of our voter system to strengthen Americans’ confidence is required,” Weiler said. “I see no logical rationale to be against the SAVE Act unless one is in favor of increasing the likelihood of fraudulent votes.”
Discussing the ongoing Iran war, Weiler referenced his own military experience and said, “I understand Iran has indeed been in a war against America for 47 years and possesses a legitimate threat to our forces.”
“As a result of this, I agreed with the initial strike to capitalize on the once in a decade intelligence info to eliminate 30 leaders of the Iranian regime and hit Iran’s nuclear centers of gravity, as well as the initial few week pause to give peace a chance,” he added.
However, Weiler explained that the initial strikes, and those that followed in the immediate aftermath, did not change how the Iranian regime conducts itself or negotiates.
“Therefore, President Trump and his team should have acted months ago to eliminate Iran’s ability to impact the Strait of Hormuz and strike our citizens, troops, and allies in the region,” Weiler added.
Minnesota’s state primary election is on Aug. 11, but early voting is already underway. Voters in that election will decide whether Weiler, Tafoya, Schwarze, or White represents the Republican Party on the November general election ballot.
Whichever Republican emerges victorious from the state primary will face either DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan or DFL Congresswoman Angie Craig in the general election.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
