A former professional basketball player has won the Republican primary to take on three-term Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in the fall.
Royce White, who played with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA in 2014, bested a crowded field of candidates in the North Star State, armed with key endorsements from former President Trump’s circle.
That includes support from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.; Arizona Senate hopeful Kari Lake; and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. He was also backed by the state GOP.
White has previously described himself as a “MAGA extremist,” according to the Star Tribune, and has closely aligned himself with the ex-president’s right-wing populist stances.
His victory appears to be a rebuke of the Minnesota GOP. White beat out retired U.S. Navy officer Joe Fraser, his top rival, despite the latter having support from two former GOP senators and a former governor.
Royce has raised just over $125,000 in individual contributions this election cycle and is heading into the general election with nearly $53,000 cash on hand.
That’s dwarfed by Klobuchar’s $12 million in individual contributions raised. Her war chest is also larger than Royce’s. She entered the race with $6.5 million cash on hand.
Royce remains a long shot to win the general election, however. The state has trended blue in recent years, and Minnesotans have not elected a Republican to the White House since Richard Nixon in 1972.
Klobuchar, the senior senator from the state, has won re-election twice after her first campaign in 2006. She’s the first woman to represent Minnesota in the Senate.
MINNESOTA DEM LAWMAKER DEFENDS WALZ AGAINST ‘RADICAL’ LABEL FROM GOP: ‘COULDN’T DISAGREE MORE’
A moderate Democrat, she voted with former President Trump approximately a third of the time
She won in 2006 with approximately 58% of the vote, followed by 65% in 2012 and 60% in 2018.
3rd Quarter Report The Lakers already have more points against the Hawks than they managed in total again
The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled to start their season, going 5-18 over the opening part of the year. Questions are beginning to abound around the roster
On Friday evening, the Milwaukee Bucks are playing the Boston Celtics (in Massachusetts).During the first half, 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown picked up Bucks
The Houston Rockets could be a relatively quiet team this NBA trade season, as the team is already finding early success with the current roster. Houston curren