Royce White wins GOP Senate primary to face off against Amy Klobuchar in November

Far-right Republican and ex-NBA player Royce White won Tuesday’s primary over business executive and retired Navy intelligence officer Joe Fraser, and will now challenge Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

White pulled off a decisive win at the Minnesota Republican Party’s endorsing convention in May, largely by getting the grassroots conservative Republican base to coalesce behind him.

“For many years, Republicans have talked about expanding our tent and focusing on the Twin Cities Metro,” White said in a statement after his primary victory. “I am committed to growing the base, bringing disenfranchised democrats into the tent, and unifying all conservatives in Minnesota. By doing this, we will deliver a victory for President Trump this November. Together we will bring the battle to unseat Amy Klobuchar.”

White’s supporters at the GOP state convention backed him despite his controversial past that includes using antisemitic and derogatory slurs to attack critics on social media and using past campaign funds at a strip club and high-end hotels.

“They know I’m an outsider,” White said in a previous interview, referring to the delegates who backed him. “My life is very public, so anybody who would say, ‘Oh, well, you know, the delegates didn’t know’ ... well, maybe? But at the end of the day, it’s not hard to look me up, and it’s not hard to look up my past. I’ve lived a very public life.”

Fraser had notched mainstream Republican support from the likes of former GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former U.S. Sens. Norm Coleman and Rudy Boschwitz, while White had the backing of far-right national figures including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Infowars host Alex Jones.

“While I am disappointed that tonight’s results did not go our way, I am also saddened that our ability to compete in the general election and bring about real change to our state has been thwarted by our party’s embrace of an unelectable candidate,” Fraser said in a statement Tuesday night. “I still believe Minnesota’s best days are ahead of us. Unfortunately, with Royce White at the top of the statewide ticket this fall, those days will most likely be delayed for years as Minnesotans look elsewhere for real leadership.”

White has raised just six figures over the course of his campaign compared to Klobuchar, who has raised more than $11 million this year and entered July with $6.4 million cash on hand.

Without outside help, it could be difficult for White to compete with a well-funded candidate like Klobuchar statewide. Polling also suggests it will be an uphill climb for White. Recent head-to-head polling has shown Klobuchar leading White and Fraser by more than 10 percentage points.

DFL state party chair Ken Martin said the choice between Klobuchar and White in November “could not be more clear.”

”While Royce White’s language and policies seek to divide Minnesotans, Senator Amy Klobuchar is focused on bringing people together to get things done, and she is consistently ranked as one of the most bipartisan and effective legislators in the Senate,” Martin said.

Though the National Republican Senatorial Committee has not gotten involved in the race, its chairman, Sen. Steve Daines, had said he does not think White can win a primary or general election and had expressed confidence in Fraser’s chances in the primary, saying that he is the more “electable candidate.” Daines’ remarks indicate it’s highly unlikely that the committee will help White in the general election.

Klobuchar decisively won her primary over four lesser-known candidates shortly after the polls closed.