JESSE VENTURA was elected the 38th Governor of Minnesota on November 3, 1998 defeating Attorney General Hubert H. (Skip) Humphrey III and St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman. He served as Governor for one term. Shocking the political establishment, Ventura became the only Reform Party candidate to ever win the office of Minnesota Governor. Ventura promised to keep new voters engaged in the political process by maintaining \common sense policies\ that reduce reliance on government. Ventura is also a strong proponent of public education and crime reduction.

After high school, Ventura joined the Navy and was trained as a SEAL. He served in the Navy for six years, four on active duty, two in the Reserves, and served in Vietnam. After his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1973, Ventura attended Community College on the GI bill.

For 11 years, Ventura enjoyed a successful career as a professional wrestler. In 1984, Ventura retired from wrestling and became an actor, starring in several films including Predator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He later became a radio talk show host and television show host. In 1990, Ventura was prompted to run for Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota's sixth largest city. He served as Mayor until 1995, championing crime reduction.