Former NBA player to challenge Amy Klobuchar for Minnesota Senate seat

 A former professional basketball player has emerged victorious in the Republican primary to challenge three-term Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in the upcoming election.

Royce White, who played for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA in 2014, secured his win over a competitive field of candidates in Minnesota with significant backing from former President Trump’s associates. His endorsements include support from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, along with backing from the state GOP.

White, who has identified himself as a "MAGA extremist" and aligned closely with Trump’s populist positions, defeated retired U.S. Navy officer Joe Fraser, despite Fraser’s backing from two former GOP senators and a former governor.

White has raised over $125,000 in individual contributions this election cycle and enters the general election with nearly $53,000 in cash on hand. This amount is significantly less compared to Klobuchar’s $12 million in individual contributions and her campaign’s $6.5 million cash reserve.

While White’s chances of winning the general election are slim given Minnesota's recent trend toward blue and its history of not electing a Republican president since Richard Nixon in 1972, he will face Klobuchar, who is seeking her fourth term. Klobuchar, who became the first woman to represent Minnesota in the Senate, won her previous re-elections with approximately 58% in 2006, 65% in 2012, and 60% in 2018.