Basketball Player Royce White Runs for Congress, Challenging Ilhan Omar

"Free the Uyghurs" is seen on the head of Royce White #30 of the Power during the game against the Killer 3's during BIG3—Week Four at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on July 31, 2021. Cooper Neill/Getty Images for BIG3

A professional basketball player and activist, Royce White, announced last week he will run for Congress as a Republican for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, seeking to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

White had a brief career in the NBA from 2012 to 2014. He then played professional basketball in Canada for two years. Currently, he’s a professional player in The BIG3 basketball and mixed martial arts (MMA). He said he fought against NBA to create a mental health policy and “paid the price” with his career.