The burning question readers may want answered first: Is Kaley Steil a Packers fan?
We can breathe a sigh of relief – the answer is yes. She did not grow up a Vikings fan. Kaley Ann Taffe was born and raised in Morris, Minnesota and grew up cheering for the Green Bay Packers. Moving to Wisconsin, she says, “has not been a difficult transition for me.”
In fact, her football loyalties were established long before she met her husband, Wisconsin Congressman Bryan Steil.
Kaley comes from a large, sporty family with several athletes, including herself. Her father loved sports, and there was “always a game on in the background,” she tells me. When she was young, she became a big fan of Brett Favre and admired the way he played the game. He quickly became her favorite player.
Kaley’s father was ecstatic that one of his daughters had developed such a strong interest in football, so he made sure Packers games were on television every weekend. “This is one of the very first things Bryan asked me,” she jokingly said.
Growing Up in Morris
Kaley grew up in Morris, Minnesota, a farming town of about 4,000 people, roughly three and a half hours west of St. Paul, near the South Dakota and North Dakota borders.
Morris was the largest town in the region. Neighboring communities often had populations of 200 people or fewer, and residents traveled to Morris for groceries, errands, and the town’s one-screen movie theater.
“I didn’t realize I was in such a small town,” Kaley said. “I thought I was from the big city at the time,” she said jokingly. She describes Morris as a tight-knit community where everybody knew everybody.
Her father worked at the local bank, while her mother owned a salon, Taffe Clips, which is still in town. Kaley is the youngest of three sisters – each sister two years apart in age. The three have always been remarkably close.
Some of Kaley’s fondest childhood memories involve time spent with family. “I loved sports growing up; I loved family activities,” she said.
Her maternal grandparents lived on a farm about ten miles west of Morris. The house was the same one in which her mother had grown up. When visiting the farm, she and her sisters and cousins made crafts, played with the farm animals, and enjoyed the kind of childhood that came with having much of the family nearby.
Her paternal grandparents lived in Morris and her grandmother was an excellent baker. Kaley thinks back warmly on spending time with her making pies.
Kaley comes from a big hockey family, and they often attended University of Minnesota Gopher games together to watch her cousin play. Family gatherings and activities were a regular part of growing up, and a love of sports was always a part of her family dynamic.
A Sixth-Grade Assignment That Changed Everything
Although people might assume Kaley comes from a political family, her path into politics was anything but conventional. “The political stuff happened randomly,” she said.
“When most people find out I’ve been volunteering and working on campaigns since I was 12 years old, they think I came from a super political family, which would make sense, but I didn’t.”
The story began in sixth grade, when students at her school were required to complete a Minnesota history project.
Kaley wanted to focus on the Gopher hockey team because of her cousin’s involvement. However, her teacher would not allow students to choose sports related topics. Unsure what to do, Kaley mentioned the assignment to her mother while she was working at the salon. A client overheard their conversation and suggested that Kaley call her son, who happened to be a state legislator.
The client explained that her son, Torrey Westrom, had been elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives at just 21 years old. Westrom had lost his eyesight after a farming accident when he was 14.
“If you don’t have anything else to do your project on, I’m sure my son Torrey would love to chat with you,” the client told Kaley.
Kaley called him. “He was so nice, and he could not have been more kind and interested in my project,” she recalled.
Westrom eventually came to her school to speak to her class. He also invited her to visit the state Capitol in St. Paul. Kaley eagerly accepted. Her parents worked out the logistics to allow her to spend a full day there. She remembers helping with committee hearings on the House floor and running errands for legislators.
Walking into the Capitol for the first time made an impression. “This is the coolest place I’ve ever seen, and I loved it. I really hope someday I could work here,” she remembered thinking.
“This piqued my initial interest into politics.”
Westrom continued to mentor Kaley, inviting her to participate in parades and go door-knocking while teaching her about politics and community involvement. Her political activities continued through high school.
Because Westrom was blind, he needed someone with him regularly. When Kaley got her driver’s license, she became his driver, helping him get to the places he needed to go. She worked with him throughout high school and into the beginning of college. Kaley still sees Westrom and frequently stays in touch with him.
A Busy High School Student
As the youngest of three sisters, Kaley remembers being “along for the ride and just trying to keep up.”
She played softball in elementary school, including a few seasons on the same team as her sisters. Kaley liked to stay busy. She also played volleyball and basketball, continuing softball until ninth grade, when she switched to track and field.
She attended Morris Area High School, the only school in the region, where students came from Morris and several neighboring towns. Kaley also joined the speech team and student council and served as class president.
“I liked to be involved in any activity,” she said.
College, the Capitol, and a Career in Politics
Kaley chose St. Catherine University in St. Paul, an all-women’s college, where she studied political science, played on the volleyball team and served on student Senate.
She interned at the Minnesota Department of Labor and worked for the commissioner and former Speaker of the House.
Kaley had taken college courses while still in high school, allowing her to complete her undergraduate degree in three years. In her final year of college, the Republicans took the majority in the Minnesota House. She knew she wanted to work for the legislature and alongside Westrom again after graduation.
Westrom encouraged her to begin working with the legislature while she finished college, rather than waiting until she graduated, so the transition would be seamless. She applied and began working in January of her senior year as the legislature began a new session. She finished her remaining undergraduate classes at night while working full-time.
Kaley began in a nonpartisan position, a role she considers one of her favorite jobs. She attended legislative sessions and committee meetings, learning how the process worked from the inside.
“You’re really in the mix,” she said. “You know what goes on all of the time, which I found to be fascinating.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree in political science, Kaley attended the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis where she pursued a master’s degree in public policy.
“I knew I wanted to get a masters in something in the political arena,” she said.
St. Thomas offered one of the state’s best public policy programs, along with the flexibility to continue working full-time for the legislature while attending evening and weekend classes.
From the Legislature to Her Own Consulting Firm
After earning her master’s degree, Kaley became a legislative assistant for several members of the Republican caucus. Although the legislature was part-time, her job was year-round. When the session ended, she helped with campaigns and other political work in the offseason.
The Republican caucus later asked her to work for the House Republican Campaign Committee, where she served as operations manager. She helped with fundraising and coordinated campaign events during election season, returning to the legislature when the session resumed.
Kaley also served as Committee Administrator for the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee in the House. Higher education is a subject Kaley remains passionate about.
In 2017, the former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Kurt Zellers, whom Kaley had worked with for years opened a public relations and government relations firm and asked Kaley to join him.
She worked there for several years, gaining experience in PR/marketing on the advocacy side of political work. That experience eventually led her to open her own firm, KAT Consulting – Kaley Ann Taffe Consulting in 2020.
Kaley works with a diverse mix of clients including policy and advocacy organizations, nonprofits, and political campaigns. She enjoys the variety, which allows her to support a wide range of issues and causes that are meaningful to her and the clients she serves.
The Issues That Matter to Her
Kaley says higher education and disability issues are among the subjects she cares most about. One organization that particularly interests her is Minnesota Independence College and Community, or MICC, a college and career program for young adults with learning disabilities.
Many of its students have autism, severe dyslexia, or other neurodivergent disabilities. Kaley had worked with MICC while she was in the legislature and was fascinated by what the organization was doing for people.
When she opened KAT Consulting, she brought MICC on as a client and continues to work with the organization today. She sees a massive gap after K-12 education for young adults with disabilities. MICC offers a residential campus designed to replicate a four-year college experience. Kaley describes it as the only college of its kind in the country.
The organization also offers a community program that allows students to maintain their social networks and receive career support throughout their lives, including help with changing jobs, pursuing career opportunities, asking for a raise, etc.
One of the biggest challenges facing adults with autism and other disabilities, Kaley said, is that they can become socially isolated, often leading to mental health issues. She values the opportunity to help ensure these individuals have lifelong access to services that support independence, attend college, hold a job, improve quality of life, and reach their full potential.
Kaley also works with clients involved in rural development.
Growing up in a small farming town gave her firsthand experience with the challenges facing rural communities, particularly access to adequate housing, employment, and childcare.
For families who want to remain in their communities, those barriers can make it difficult to stay, sometimes forcing them to leave the places they call home.
She also works in criminal justice reform and supports law enforcement.
The 2020 riots in Minneapolis were eye-opening for Kaley. She witnessed what she described as a cultural shift toward anti-law-enforcement rhetoric and saw a need for additional support for law enforcement after the riots.
Kaley is also a staunch supporter and advocate of women’s groups and domestic violence organizations
She shared a heartbreaking story of one of her best friends she grew up with in Morris and had known since kindergarten. During Kaley’s junior year of college, she received devastating news: her friend had been killed as a result of a domestic violence dispute.
Kaley said her friend had “done all of the right things,” including going through the legal process.
“This is what spurred me to get involved in that side of policy,” she said.
Kaley remains deeply committed to this topic.
How Kaley Met Bryan
Kaley and Bryan met through a mutual friend, Kelly Armstrong, who was then a colleague of Bryan’s in Congress and is now governor of North Dakota. Armstrong had also previously worked with Kaley for about eight years.
One day, he arranged a group dinner without telling either Kaley or Bryan in advance. He then made sure the two of them had a chance to talk.
“Apparently he’s a good matchmaker,” Kaley said.
She added, jokingly, that Armstrong likes to take full credit for bringing them together and enjoys telling everyone about it.
An Engagement in the Northwoods
Kaley and Bryan became engaged in August 2025 during a kayaking trip near Boulder Junction, where Bryan’s family has a cabin.
He packed a picnic for the occasion. Afterward, they had ice cream and went to Smokey’s supper club for dinner to celebrate. They married in March 2026.
Kaley and Bryan share conservative values, similar upbringings, and both descend from large, close-knit families. Both are accustomed to family gatherings filled with noise, “lots of kiddos”, and plenty of activity. She says those gatherings are a lot of fun.
They also share a love for Wisconsin’s Northwoods. The state’s many lakes remind Kaley of Minnesota, and she still returns to Morris as often as she can to visit family and friends. She loves bringing Bryan along.
Kaley also continues to have clients and groups she works with back home, giving her another reason to visit. She enjoys attending her nieces’ and nephews’ sporting events and activities.
Since moving to Wisconsin, she has fallen in love with the Supper Club culture.
“There are a lot of similarities between Minnesota and Wisconsin, but Minnesota does not have a lot of supper clubs,” Kaley said. The similarities between the two states have helped her feel right at home.
She mentioned wanting to take a supper club tour, which excited Bryan – “there’s a map for this type of a tour!” he tells Kaley. Some of her favorites include Smokey’s up North, The Duck Inn in Delavan, and the Butterfly Club in Beloit.
Other types of Wisconsin restaurants Kaley enjoys includes The Velvet Buffalo, Lucy’s, Milwaukee Grill, and Pier 290.
Finding Balance in Busy Lives
With Bryan traveling between Wisconsin and Washington, Kaley running her consulting firm, visiting family in Minnesota, and both of them involved in political and advocacy work, their schedules can be demanding.
Kaley says Bryan is incredibly supportive of her career.
“We have very busy schedules so we try to balance it the best that we can,” she said.
They understand that the balance between work and personal life is not always 50/50. During particularly busy periods, one person’s work may take priority. Kaley says communication is key.
They support each other’s professional commitments, and their similar backgrounds give them a foundational understanding of the demands of each other’s work.
“His serving in Congress is extremely important, and I want to support him,” Kaley said.
When they have time off together, she says, they try to make it personal. They put away their phones, step away from social media and email, and enjoy the time they have together.
As our interview wrapped up, Kaley and I swapped a few laughs and stories about the similarities we share – growing up as die-hard Packers fans outside Wisconsin, a love of supper clubs, hockey and more. It was an honor to conduct Kaley Steil’s first official interview. She was among the kindest, most genuine and generous people I’ve had the opportunity to interview since joining The Heartland Post, and I look forward to continuing our conversation in the near future.
