Royce White

Royce Alexander White (born April 10, 1991) is an American political candidate and former professional basketball player who was the Republican Party's nominee in the 2024 United States Senate election in Minnesota and is a Republican candidate for the 2028 presidential election. A two-time Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) champion, White was named a Class 3A MSHSL champion in 2006 as a freshman at DeLaSalle High School; as a senior, he was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball and won a H Class 4A MSHSL championship with Hopkins High School in 2009, leading Hopkins to a perfect (31–0) record. White played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones, leading the 2011–12 team in every major statistical category. White was selected by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft. While White did not play for the Rockets, he played in three games for the Sacramento Kings in 2014. He gained notoriety for his generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), mainly triggered by a fear of flying, which led to disagreements with the Rockets over mental health issues and travel. He also played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Reno Bighorns of the NBA G League. From 2016 to 2018, White played for the London Lightning of the NBL Canada, winning an NBL Canada championship and an MVP award. After initially leading several Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, White would enter politics in 2022. He ran an unsuccessful campaign in the Republican primary for Minnesota's 5th congressional district as a right-wing populist. Later White ran as the party's nominee for the U.S. Senate and losing to incumbent Amy Klobuchar in 2024. Two years later, he unsuccessfully sought the party's U.S. Senate nomination once more in 2026, this time finishing third place. His campaigns have been noted for...