Minnesota Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Royce White surprised many when he won his party’s endorsement at the May convention. Now that he’s the official GOP nominee after winning this month’s primary, he’s got a steep climb ahead.

The 2024 U.S. Senate race in Minnesota pits three-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar against White, a basketball player turned right-wing online media personality who has described himself as a “MAGA extremist” and is an associate of former President Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon.

Despite his combative online style, controversial statements and unconventional background, Minnesota’s Republican Party has stood by White. Though leadership described him as an “unusual candidate.” Nevertheless, some political observers and moderate Republicans wonder whether he’ll be able to unify the party.

White faces a long-time Senator with wide recognition who has handily defeated all of her Republican challengers over the years. And no GOP candidate has won statewide office in Minnesota since 2006. Dan Hofrenning, professor of political science at St. Olaf College, called prospects for a Republican defeating Klobuchar “bleak.”

“Probably the single most, or the single clearest indicator that she has a safe seat is that she didn’t attract a range of what we might call ‘quality candidates,’ ” he said. “If she were more vulnerable, there’d be a lot of people stepping up, like state legislators … or other bigger names in the Republican Party.”

Cash, name recognition

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks in Duluth as DFL delegates and party leaders gather the weekend of May 31 to June 2, 2024, for their state convention. (Mark Wasson / Forum News Service)

White has significantly less cash and political clout than Klobuchar, who has served in the U.S. Senate since being elected in 2006 and got national attention for her 2020 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

As of just before the Aug. 13 primary,  Klobuchar had more than $6 million for her campaign, compared to White’s $53,000, according to candidate reports to the Federal Election Commission.

White could raise more in the months before the general election, though past candidates who have run against Klobuchar have also been significantly outgunned money-wise. Republican Jim Newberger raised about a quarter of a million dollars in his 2018 bid for senate.

White does have some name recognition in Minnesota from his basketball career. In 2009 he led Hopkins High School to a state championship and was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball. He then played for Iowa State before being drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2012.

White was in the NBA for six years but never played a game, though came to be known for his mental health advocacy in professional basketball and shared his struggles with anxiety. Later he attracted national media attention for his involvement with Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis in 2020. But soon after, he became a right-wing figure with ties to Bannon and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

White has said he thinks his anti-establishment credentials play to his advantage, as Klobuchar has not faced a “brash” candidate such as him before. He also hopes a strategy of reaching out to heavily Democratic communities of color in the Twin Cities metropolitan area will help his campaign as well. White is the first Black major party nominee for Senate in Minnesota history.

“I need the conservatives in this state to get ready to come down into the cities and explain to voters, voters who may have not voted before, voters who may be independent or moderate, voters who may have voted Democrat,” White said in a Primary Election night interview. “We need to go explain to them what the value is of the Republican platform. We haven’t been in those communities.”

Divided GOP

It isn’t just a well-entrenched incumbent that will pose a challenge for White. He also has to convince other Republicans to support him.

Around three-fifths of GOP primary voters supported other candidates, and many moderate Republicans have expressed reservations about White’s self-described extremism, controversies, associations with the conspiracy right and combative online style.

In the Aug. 13 primary, White won 39% of the vote, and establishment pick Joe Fraser, who had endorsements from former Republican Sens. Norm Coleman and Rudy Boschwitz, and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, received about 29% of the vote. The rest of the vote was split between several other candidates.

White says he hopes to unite Minnesota Republicans behind him and end what he calls a “civil war” in the party. But so far, many moderate Republican voices continue to reject him as a candidate.

“Trump, (JD) Vance, and now Royce White will make the political environment difficult for traditional Republicans in Minnesota,” said former Minnesota Republican Party deputy chair Michael Brodkorb in a post to X. Just a day before the primary, Brodkorb had endorsed the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz Democratic presidential ticket.

Despite misgivings among some Republicans, the state party itself has stood by White even as he came under fire for several controversies, like alleged misuse of funds for his 2022 congressional campaign — which included $1,200 spent at a Miami strip club. A complaint against his campaign alleged he spent more than $150,000 on personal expenses, including luxury goods, though White has claimed he has reimbursed the expenses.

In a May interview with KSTP’s Tom Hauser, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman David Hann admitted White was an “unusual candidate” but said the party wouldn’t try to claw back its endorsement. In July, Hann later appeared with White in a social media post seeking campaign volunteers.

White has also faced criticism for back child support payments, which he says were unfairly high because a judge set his payments based on his NBA salary. He’s also been accused of antisemitism for his remarks about banks being controlled by “Jewish elites” and was opposed by the Republican Jewish Coalition.

White has denied allegations of antisemitism and said he has “many people in my life who are Jewish, who love me and support me and support the things I say about cultural issues.”

Klobuchar touring MN counties

Klobuchar and White met during a panel discussion at Minnesota Farmfest in early August — an event considered a crucial early stop in a Minnesota election. Besides that brief greeting between the candidates at the panel, only one has acknowledged the other in public communication.

White routinely criticizes Klobuchar in social media posts and media appearances. Klobuchar and her campaign, meanwhile, have not mentioned her Republican challenger in any messaging since White won the GOP endorsement in May.

Klobuchar has been touring Minnesota intending to visit all 87 counties, as she has done in past years, and as of mid-August had been to more than 60, according to campaign spokesperson Ben Hill. Those stops have included meetings with small business owners, farmers and local law enforcement.

“Senator Klobuchar is focused on her job in the Senate and working with Minnesotans across the state to deliver results,” said Hill when asked about the campaign, mirroring a similar statement issued following White’s May endorsement by the GOP.

Hill touted the senator’s bipartisan track record and endorsements from the Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association. He also pointed out her successful push for legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies in order to lower drug prices.

No official debate has been scheduled between the candidates so far.

The last time Klobuchar ran, she debated her Republican opponent at the Minnesota State Fair and in a televised debate on KSTP. Neither Klobuchar nor White’s campaign have indicated if any plan is in the works for a similar event this year.

Related Articles

With conventions over, a 10-week sprint to the White House begins

Anti-Trump Republicans at DNC offer tips on approaching swing voters

Young Black and Indian women share an identity with Kamala Harris — some are beaming, while others sit at a crossroads with her stance on Gaza

Fact-checking Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention

Despite smaller crowds, activists at Democrats’ convention call Chicago anti-war protests a success

St. Thomas junior wide receiver Colin Chase describes himself as an open-minded person, someone willing to go outside his comfort zone. Two prime examples provide some proof.

Chase made the 50-minute commute from his home in Tustin, Calif., to attend St. John Bosco High School, leaving the house each morning at 6:30 at the start of a 12-hour day for the chance to play football for a nationally renowned program.

Fast forward to his senior year in high school, when Chase opted to forgo an offer from nearby University of San Diego to travel halfway across the country to play for the Tommies.

“I’m not going to take one route just because it’s comfortable,” Chase said.

St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso is the first to say the Tommies are all the better for it. He has been impressed with the 6-foot, 201-pound Chase from the time he arrived on campus, and is among many who believe Chase will be a key component to a revamped offense this season as he moves into a full-time starter’s role.

Chase made great strides as last season progressed, finishing with 19 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. With standout receiver Andrew McElroy electing to leave via the transfer portal, Chase, along with graduate student receiver Jacob Wildermuth, will be counted on to give an offense that traditionally has been heavy on the run the ability to stretch the field.

Caruso does not anticipate a drop-off in production at wide receiver following the loss of McElroy.

“The way Colin played down the stretch, he was our most productive receiver last year — with everybody there,” Caruso said.

Following that up with a productive offseason offers the promise of even better days ahead.

“I was so impressed with the spring he had,” Caruso said. “I feel it’s kind of rude for me to say because I shouldn’t be. He lays down great work for two years. But he took it to a whole different level in the spring.

“He’s smooth, he’s confident, and he’s consistent with his routes. He’s what we call a friendly receiver. He makes himself available and friendly to the quarterback.”

Chase says he is thankful for the opportunity, as well as the support he has received from those around him.

“We have a new offensive coordinator, coach (Caleb) Corrill, who has been a great addition to our offense,” Chase said, “so I’m very excited for our game plans upcoming. We’ve got a great defense, so it’s been nice to go against the best defense in our conference every day in practice.

“I had a great mentor in (teammate) Jacob Wildermuth,” Chase said. “He took me under his wing and explained the offense inside and out. And he helped me sharpen my mental game, so he really prepared me for that stage.”

One focus for Chase during the offseason was to join with the other receivers in developing chemistry with a group of young quarterbacks that includes sophomore starter Tak Tateoka and sophomore backup Michael Rostberg.

“They push us to be better,” Chase said, “and we push them to be better.”

That type of leadership is among the intangible traits Caruso and staff look for while on the recruiting trail.

Tommies wide receiver coach Jared Dodson, who recruits California, began showing interest in Chase during his senior season in high school. The two developed a rapport, and Chase was intrigued by Dodson’s description of a program he initially knew very little about.

Then, after meeting with Caruso, “I was just locked in after that,” Chase said.

“A head coach like coach Caruso, he develops players on the field and off the field,” he added. “Whether that’s helping you on the football field or later on in life, it’s developing those skills to be a strong person.

“And the culture; I’ve never been around a group a guys who have been genuinely close — just a selfless program.”

Thus, his instincts were correct when he chose the Tommies, just as they were when he made the sacrifices needed to play for St. John Bosco.

“Similar program as it is to here,” Chase said. “Iron sharpening iron every day — going against the top talent. Very blessed to take that from there and translate over here.”

Seema Mehta | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

Vice President Kamala Harris has enjoyed a monthlong burst of energy and optimism among Democrats who believe she is the party’s best chance of defeating former President Donald Trump in November. But once the balloons dropped after Harris claimed her party’s nomination on Thursday, the reality set in that there is much work to be done in coming weeks in what is still expected to be a razor-thin contest.

“On Friday, I’m going to give you leave to take a three-hour nap. Eat a damn vegetable. And then sign up for shifts to get people registered to vote, to knock on doors, to hold events, to pull people in and make a seat at the table for people who are so busy they’re not consuming the information like we are,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told California delegates over breakfast. “We can do this. I’m more optimistic than ever. So lace up your Chucks, hit the doors, make room at the table, and let’s get it done.”

Polling shows that while Harris fares better than President Joe Biden against Trump, it’s still an incredibly close race that will come down to a small number of voters in a handful of battleground states.

“She put Democrats back into the game to where it’s kind of a toss-up,” said John Anzalone, Biden’s lead pollster in 2020, at an event hosted by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics on Wednesday. “Step 2 is always the most difficult one.”

“We’ve seen it in every presidential campaign, and Step 2 usually happens post-conventions, post-Labor Day, when the bell rings,” he added. “That is like the battle for the slim universe of — you can call them anything you want: persuasion voters, swing voters, independent voters — and it’s pretty small. And that’s where each side [spends] a billion dollars.”

Harris has enjoyed a crush of positive news coverage and Democratic enthusiasm since Biden decided in late July to not seek reelection, her party quickly coalesced around her as their nominee, she named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and then accepted the nomination in front of thousands of jubilant Democrats at their party’s convention in Chicago.

The Olympics also consumed significant media attention during this period, leading to Trump largely being relegated to the sidelines (aside from when he falsely claimed — in a room full of Black journalists — that Harris recently “happened to turn” Black).

But many Democrats acknowledge that this sunny period can’t continue unchecked until election day.

“At some point the honeymoon phase will be over,” said Democratic strategist Paul Mitchell, an alternate delegate who lives in Sacramento County. “What I think is really shocking is how good of a honeymoon phase that she’s had.”

There were fears among Democrats that their euphoria over the last several weeks could lead to complacency.

“There’s so much momentum,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in an interview. “The task now will be to bottle it up and use it to propel us through the next 10 or 11 weeks, through election day.”

The general election campaign traditionally starts after Labor Day. And there is a presidential debate scheduled on Sept. 10 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Walz and GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance, a senator from Ohio, will face off Oct. 1 in New York City.

“I have jokingly said to a couple of people, ‘I sure wish the election were Tuesday,’” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell. “I think we’ve been given our charge. … Don’t wait to be called. Show up.”

Indeed, a common thread among many of the convention’s most prominent speakers was how close the election would be, and the need to keep the foot on the gas pedal through Nov. 5.

“We only have 2½ months, y’all, to get this done. Only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan,” former First Lady Michelle Obama told delegates Tuesday. “So we cannot afford for anyone, anyone, anyone, America, to sit on their hands and wait to be called. … You know what you need to do.”

Obama exhorted them to “do something.”

“Because, y’all, this election is gonna be close. In some states, just a handful — listen to me — a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner,” she said. “So we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt. We need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us. Our fate is in our hands.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote to Trump in 2016, urged delegates to act.

“We need to work harder than we ever have. We need to beat back the dangers that Trump and his allies pose to the rule of law and our way of life,” she said Monday. “Don’t get distracted or complacent. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Volunteer. Be proud champions for the truth and for the country that we all love.”

Clinton’s surprise loss was repeatedly invoked as a warning against being overly confident.

“We learned the hard way in 2016 that you not only have to win the popular vote, you have to win the electoral vote, and you can’t take any of it for granted,” former California Sen. Barbara Boxer told reporters. “So we learned some hard, hard lessons, and we paid the price with Donald Trump for four years, a nightmare.”

Boxer said she has been to every Democratic National Convention except one since the 1980s and said only the 2008 gathering when President Barack Obama was nominated had a similar level of “organic excitement.” But this year is extra-charged by the fear of Trump once again sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.

Former President Obama warned Democrats about the stakes.

“Now, the torch has been passed. Now, it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in,” he said. “And make no mistake, it will be a fight. For all the incredible energy we’ve been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.”

——-

(Times staff writer Noah Bierman in Chicago contributed to this report.)

___

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Related Articles

Anti-Trump Republicans at DNC offer tips on approaching swing voters

Young Black and Indian women share an identity with Kamala Harris — some are beaming, while others sit at a crossroads with her stance on Gaza

Fact-checking Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention

Despite smaller crowds, activists at Democrats’ convention call Chicago anti-war protests a success

The ‘joyful’ Democratic convention is over. The real test for Kamala Harris’ campaign now begins

Aidan Quigley | (TNS) CQ-Roll Call

CHICAGO — Along with a massive pep rally and a chance to hear from pop stars and their presidential nominee, Democrats attending and watching their party’s national convention got a lesson this week in how to approach persuadable swing or conservative voters who may not love Donald Trump, but have reservations about backing Kamala Harris.

The lesson came from Republicans, several of whom were given prime-time speaking slots to hammer the former president for his attempts to hold onto power after losing the 2020 election, and his behavior before and during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters.

These Republican speeches culminated in former Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s prime time Thursday speech. Kinzinger, who is from Illinois and was one of just two Republicans who served on the House committee that investigated the insurrection, said that our democracy was “frayed” by Jan. 6.

“That day, I stood witness to profound sorrow — the desecration of our sacred tradition of peaceful transfer of power, tarnished by a man too fragile, vain and weak to accept defeat,” Kinzinger said. “How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow a free and fair election?”

The crowd treated the former congressman to cheers of “USA! USA!” while waving American flags.

Kinzinger’s speech was one of the last of the convention, with only Maya Harris, Vice President Harris’ sister; North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Harris herself following him. First elected in 2010, Kinzinger served on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House. He was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, and did not seek reelection in 2022.

Kinzinger, who had endorsed President Joe Biden in January, said he has differences with Harris, but they pale in comparison to their shared values.

“I know Kamala Harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution and democracy,” Kinzinger said. “And she is dedicated to upholding all three in service to our country.”

Related Articles

Optimistic Democrats go heavy on the patriotism at DNC convention in Chicago

DNC in Chicago: What happened as Democrats wrapped up final day of convention

‘It’s our time’: As Harris accepts the nomination, many women say a female president is long overdue

Kamala Harris’ racial and cultural firsts were onstage throughout the Democratic convention

FACT FOCUS: A look back at false and misleading claims made during the the Democratic convention

The attack on the Capitol was also a central theme of former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham’s appearance on Tuesday. Grisham served as then-first lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff before resigning in the aftermath of Jan. 6.

She said on Jan. 6, she asked Melania Trump if she should tweet that there was no place for lawlessness or violence, which Melania Trump refused to do.

Grisham said the former president called his supporters “basement dwellers” and was once upset on a hospital visit that the cameras were not solely focused on him.

“He has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth,” she said.

Another former administration official, Oliva Troye, who advised Vice President Mike Pence on national security issues, said Trump undermined the intelligence community, military leaders and the democratic process.

“It’s his M.O., to sow doubt and division. That’s what Trump wants, because that’s the only way he wins,” she said. “And that’s what our adversaries want, because it’s the only way they win.”

Troye said her family values as a Latina growing up in Texas where the Fourth of July “was our most sacred holiday” made her a Republican.

“They’re the same values that make me proud to support Kamala Harris, not because we agree on every issue, but because we agree on the most important issue protecting our freedom. So to my fellow Republicans, you aren’t voting for a Democrat, you’re voting for democracy. You aren’t betraying our party, you’re standing up for our country,” Troye said

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan had a front-row seat to Trump’s efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election in his home state, and said Wednesday that Trump should not return to office.

“I realized Trump was a direct threat to democracy, and his actions disqualified himself from ever, ever, ever stepping foot into the Oval Office again,” Duncan said.

Harris is a “steady hand and will bring leadership to the White House that Donald Trump could never do,” he said.

“If Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves, our party is not civil or conservative,” he said. “It’s chaotic and crazy, and the only thing left to do is dump Trump.”

The Trump campaign’s counter-programming in Chicago has hammered home a message that Democrats are focusing too much on Trump and not enough on the issues that matter to voters.

“The Dems… are focused on Trump rather than inflation, the border, or public safety.” Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior adviser, said Tuesday. “Obviously their convention is about who they are running against, rather than what they are running for. We’re here to remind folks what Donald Trump is running for.”

___

©2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.