Tapio is the current CEO of NT Sales and Leasing in Watertown, South Dakota.

[5] In 2002, Tapio was the campaign director for Larry Diedrich's congressional bid in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election.

After securing the South Dakota primary, Tapio assisted the Trump Campaign in Northern Colorado for the general election.

On January 28, 2018, Tapio announced his bid to become the Republican nominee for U.S. Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district.

[9][10] He faced former PUC commissioner Dusty Johnson and secretary of state Shantel Krebs in the June 5, 2018 GOP primary.

[11] As a state senator, Tapio received an “A” rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund and the National Association for Gun Rights.