Former NBA player wins endorsement from Minnesota Republicans for U.S. Senate seat

(St. Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Republican Party has endorsed a former NBA player who wants to become a U.S. senator.

Royce White won the party's endorsement at the state convention in St. Paul on Saturday.  White received 67% of the votes from delegates, winning on the first ballot.  The party endorsed White "with reservation," apparently due to previous court judgments.  The African American candidate said his run would bring more people of color into the Republican Party, telling supporters that Black people around the country believe that "the government is too big and it's usually corrupt."

White is facing off against Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has held the seat since 2012.