A retired Naval officer and an ex-NBA player were the top two contenders
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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.
Former professional basketball player Royce White ran in the Minnesota Republican primary. (Getty Images)
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.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is seeking a fourth term (Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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.
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Retired Navy officer Joe Fraser ran in the Republican Senate primary in Minnesota (Facebook)
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.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to
