Mar 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Royce White (30) looks down court against Texas Longhorns during the second half of the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament at the Sprint Center. Texas defeated Iowa State 71-65. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Former Iowa State men’s basketball star Royce White is running for Congress.
The Minneapolis native announced on Tuesday he’ll oppose incumbent Democrat Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. It is unclear if White is affiliated with a party or if he’s running as an independent candidate.
You can learn more about White’s campaign here and in the video below.
White was one of the best players in the country during his one season as a Cyclone, earning honorable mention All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2011-12, while leading the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks.
He was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and helped the program reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 in Fred Hoiberg’s second season at the helm.
White gained national notoriety for his stances on mental health and those stances ultimately prevented him from having a substantial NBA career despite being selected No. 16 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft. He played in only three NBA games for the Sacramento Kings during the 2013-14 season.
In the years since, White has played professional basketball in several different leagues, including being the No. 1 overall pick in Ice Cube’s Big 3’s 2019 draft. He has also spent the past several years training for a mixed martial arts career.
White started to gain traction in the political sphere after leading several protests in the Minneapolis area in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in 2020. He’s since picked up steam in conservative circles with his stances on human rights violations in China, being anti-vaccination and anti-mandates.
