Minnesota Republican Party endorses candidate against Klobuchar.

The Republican Party of Minnesota has thrown its support behind Royce White, a former NBA player and Black Lives Matter protest leader turned GOP Senate candidate, in his quest to unseat Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The state party formally endorsed White at the Minnesota GOP convention held in St. Paul’s RiverCentre on Saturday.

White, a former professional basketball player, was introduced on stage at the convention by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. He garnered an impressive 67% of the vote on the first ballot at the convention to secure the party’s endorsement to challenge Klobuchar, who has represented Minnesota in the Senate for nearly two decades.

“I’m a ‘We the People’ guy through and through,” White expressed to Minnesota’s Star Tribune on Saturday. Despite his unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination to challenge Rep. Ilhan Omar in 2022, White is now setting his sights on the Senate race with the backing of the Minnesota Republicans.

Hundreds of Minnesota Republicans showed their support for White by packing the room where he delivered a speech after receiving the party’s endorsement. Several attendees proudly held signs that read “The People Are Coming,” further emphasizing their enthusiasm for White’s candidacy.

Prior to joining the Republican Party and running for Senate, White played a prominent role in leading Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis during the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

Despite his activism, White has also made controversial statements in the past. Notably, he claimed to be both a Christian and a “real Jew” in response to a social media user’s comment. White has been vocal on social media about various topics, including praising Louis Farrakhan and calling out Black individuals who he believes have “sold out.”

White has outlined four key goals on his campaign website, including “Term Limits,” “No Taxes (American jubilee),” “American Manufacturing,” and “Energy,” without providing additional details on how he plans to achieve those goals if elected.

At the Minnesota GOP convention, some delegates expressed disappointment in the candidate selection process, indicating that they had hoped for stronger candidates to challenge Klobuchar and to support former President Trump’s re-election efforts. The state party’s nominating committee’s decision to include White on the endorsement ballot with reservations raised eyebrows among Republican operatives in attendance.

White faces competition from other Republican candidates, such as U.S. Navy veteran Joe Fraser, whose campaign suggested that White’s nomination would only benefit Democrats. Fraser’s campaign spokeswoman, Preya Samsundar, congratulated the MNGOP on potentially securing another term for Klobuchar and Joe Biden with White as the nominee.

The Minnesota primary election is scheduled for August 13, with the registration deadline set for June 4. The primary winner will go head-to-head against Klobuchar, the presumed Democratic nominee, in the general election on November 4.