The Minnesota Republican Party has endorsed longshot candidate and former NBA player Royce White to face off against Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D).
White, who was widely viewed as an underdog going into the party's convention, capitalized on a grassroots, populist campaign to secure about two-thirds of the party's delegates for endorsement over the weekend.
White previously made a run at Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) seat in 2022, but lost the GOP primary despite backing from former senior Trump adviser Steve Bannon. He was introduced at the GOP conference Saturday by a video message from Bannon.
“The reality is we need people now more than ever that can't be bought,” White said after receiving the endorsement. “They don't have a price and I can't stress that to you enough.”
During his time in the Big3, White famously wrote political messages on his head for viewers at home to see. That included messages like “Trump won” — referring to the 2020 election — and “Protect RFK Jr.”
White faces an uphill battle challenging Klobuchar, the Cook Political Report considers her seat “solid D,” its strongest rating towards Democrats.
The Hill noted that the Minnesota GOP granted its endorsement with “reservations,” referring to concerns over his campaign funding and personal debt. White's campaign only has about $10,000, according to federal filings. He directly addressed his debt during a speech at the conference.
“The debt that I have is because I wouldn't take the money,” he said, claiming his basketball career ended prematurely due to a conflict over mental health care.
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