 Whitney was the 1964 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from Minnesota, losing to Eugene McCarthy, and the Republican nominee for governor of Minnesota in 1982, losing to Rudy Perpich.Whitney was involved with the Continental League, the third major baseball league, in 1959.He helped obtain the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball franchise for the state, and served on the team's board of directors from 1961 to 1985.