Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951 as James George Janos) was elected the 38th Governor of Minnesota on November 3, 1998, after a career as professional wrestler, actor, mayor and radio talk show host. He ran for the Reform Party and completely unexpectedly beat the major-party candidates: St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman (Republican) and Minnesota Attorney General "Skip" Humphrey (Democrat). He served as governor from January 4, 1999 to January 6, 2003.


Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ventura (then known by his legal name of Janos) graduated from Minneapolis's Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1969. He was in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1973, serving as a Navy SEAL. He returned to Minnesota and attended North Hennepin Community College in the mid 1970s at the same time he began weight lifting and wrestling. He began to use the stage name Jesse "The Body" Ventura. He was married in 1975 to his wife Terry. They have two children.

Ventura continued to wrestle until the mid 1980s when health problems forced him to retire from the ring. He began to do color commentary on television for wrestling. He also did color commentary on radio for a few National Football League teams. He ran for mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 1990 and served from 1991 to 1995. Between 1995 and his run for governor, Ventura had a radio call in show in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

Ventura's main campaign promise was a tax refund of the state's surplus. In debates, he often admitted that he hadn't formed an opinion on certain policy questions. Later as governor, he came to support a one-house legislature, light-rail public transport, a property tax reform, gay rights and abortion rights. While funding public school education generously, he opposed teacher's unions. Lacking a base in the Minnesota house and senate, his vetoes were often overridden.

When the Reform party was taken over by Pat Buchanan supporters before the presidential elections of 2000, Ventura left the party and joined the Independence Party of Minnesota.

Controversies as Governor

Ventura has produced several controversial quotes. In one of his books, he relates his visit to a prostitute in Reno, Nevada and states that prostitution should be legal. During a protest of college students, he said:

"If you are smart enough to go to college, you are smart enough to figure out a way to pay for it."
In a Playboy interview, he said:
"Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business."

Ventura endorsed equal rights for people who don't believe in God by declaring July 4, 2002, "Indivisible Day" through this proclamation:

"WHEREAS: The unique feature of this nation at its founding was its establishment of a secular Constitution that separated government from religion - something never done before; and WHEREAS: Our secular Constitution has enabled people of all worldviews to coexist in harmony, undivided by sectarian strife; and WHEREAS: President James Madison made clear the importance of maintaining this harmony when he said, "The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the endless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries"; and WHEREAS: The diversity of our people requires mutual respect and equal protection for all our citizens, including minority groups, if we are to remain "One nation, indivisible"; and WHEREAS: It is the unfettered diversity of ideas and worldviews that have made our nation the strongest and most productive in the world; and WHEREAS: Eternal vigilance must be maintained to guard against those who seek to stifle ideas, establish a narrow orthodoxy, and divide our nation along arbitrary lines of race, ethnicity, and religious belief or nonbelief. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JESSE VENTURA, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim that Thursday, July 4, 2002 shall be observed as: INDIVISIBLE DAY In the State Of Minnesota."

Ventura accidently also proclaimed October 13 to 19 2002 as "Christian Heritage Week". Somehow he mistakenly signed this proclamation.

Ventura vetoed a bill to promote recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools, saying:

"I believe patriotism comes from the heart. Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their patriotism through their actions, by their choice [such as voting, attending community meetings and speaking out when needed]. No law will make a citizen a patriot."

Ventura has been criticized for privately profiting from his heightened popularity. He was hired as host for the failed XFL football enterprise and published several books during his tenure as governor. On his weekly radio show, he often criticized the media for focusing on these deals rather than on his policy proposals.

Other Actions as Governor

After a trade mission to mainland China in 2002, he announced that he wouldn't run for a second term as governor. During another trade mission to Cuba in the summer of 2002, he denounced the economical sanctions of the US against that country.

On November 4, 2002, he was booed at a memorial service for the victims of the plane crash which had killed Senator Paul Wellstone. The first three-hours of the service were a tribute to the lives of the campaign-workers who had died. Then Wellstone's campaign treasurer gave a let's win this speech which some felt was overly partisan. Disgusted, Ventura changed his mind about appointing a Democrat to finish Wellstone's Senate term; on his radio show he solicited resumes for the Senator job and eventually appointed fellow independent Dean Barkley.

Ventura began a cable television show in October, 2003 on MSNBC called Jesse Ventura's America. The show is broadcast once-a-week, on Saturdays, unlike many MSNBC shows which are on five-nights-a-week (this show was originally planned for five-nights-a-week as well, but MSNBC executives changed their minds). Jesse Ventura's America is the only national television show filmed in Minnesota.