In Minnesota, a state Republicans had hoped to add to their electoral map in 2024, former NBA player Royce White, a political outsider, has consolidated party support in a contentious Republican primary.
In the final days of President Biden’s 2024 bid, President Trump’s campaign was saying that it was hoping to flip Minnesota, a reliably Democratic state, in the presidential race, rallying there and hiring two senior staff members to ramp up operations in the state.
Since Mr. Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Harris became the presumptive presidential nominee on the Democratic side, though, the state is showing signs of slipping away from Republicans on the presidential level, with a recent Survey USA poll finding that Ms. Harris leads Trump by 10 points in the state.
The same survey found that Democrats also enjoyed double digit leads in the Senate race, in which the longtime incumbent, Senator Klobuchar, is seeking reelection. However, despite the uphill battle they face in November, GOP Senate hopefuls are still fighting for the nomination in the North Star State.
On August 13 Mr. White will face off against a veteran and businessman, Joe Fraser, in the state’s GOP primary — a competition that has created a rift in the Minnesota GOP.
The candidates have drawn a sharp contrast against one another. Mr. White, 33, is a celebrity with the endorsement of Trump, GOP operative Steve Bannon, and the Minnesota GOP.
Despite having the party’s backing, Mr. White has pitched himself as an outsider, telling Forum News Service that “My only expertise is that I can’t be bought.”
He’s also been dogged by questions about his fitness for office, including allegations reported in The Daily Beast that his campaign has misused funds for things like strip clubs and report in Axios that he didn’t even vote for himself in his 2022 primary campaign, which saw him lose a GOP House primary by 10 points.
Mr. White’s campaign responded to allegations of misuse of campaign funds saying that he personally reimbursed $13,000 in “non-authorized” expenses, though the Star Tribune reports that this only accounts for part of the expenses in question.
Mr. White has also voiced some claims with no supporting evidence, including a suggestion that the home invasion of Speaker Pelosi’s San Francisco mansion and the assault of her husband was the result of a “sex quarrel,” as Mr. White tweeted after the attack, adding “There, I said it for the dummy’s who can’t read between the lines.”
Mr. White, a first-round NBA draft pick turned GOP Senate hopeful, first gained prominence in the political space protesting against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police.
Since leaving the NBA, though, Mr. White has become known for writing phrases like “Trump won” and “Protect RFK Jr.” on his head during games for the team he now co-captains, the BIG3’s Power.
Mr. White left the NBA after playing for six years between 2012 and 2016, leaving because he was unable to reach an agreement with the Houston Rockets on mental health care related to his fear of flying.
Although the party has thrown its weight behind Mr. White, Mr. Fraser has a background that is probably more typical of a Senate candidate that the party establishment might support.
Mr. Fraser served in the Navy for 26 years and is currently employed as a “senior business execution advisor” at “a major financial institution,” according to his campaign.
Mr. Fraser was the most prominent of a handful of Republicans hoping to win the state party’s endorsement ahead of the primary, which could have helped him win the primary as well.
The move to back Mr. White after Trump made his support clear mirrors the GOP’s backing of football star Herschel Walker as the nominee in the 2022 Georgia Senate election. In 2022, Mr. Walker narrowly lost the race, during which he was dogged by allegations about his past..
In May, Minnesota’s GOP party endorsed Mr. White, signaling a move towards the Trump wing of the party. In the state’s last Senate election, the party nominated a former congressman, Jason Lewis, a candidate with a more traditional political background. He lost to Democrat Tiny Smith by a health margin.
The endorsement of Mr. White also came with “reservations” in the words of the Minnesota GOP, citing lackluster fundraising for Mr. White’s campaign.
Mr. Fraser had said he would leave the race if he didn’t get the party nod. However, he backtracked on this after the party endorsed Mr. White, citing low participation in the state party convention.
According to Federal Elections Commission filings, Mr. White’s campaign has raised just $133,000 while Mr. Fraser’s has raised about $68,000.
There has been no public polling on the GOP Senate primary, however all general election polling suggests that Ms. Klobuchar is heavily favored.
Mr. White’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 16:46:00
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