James George Janos, better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, actor, author, and former professional wrestler who served as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003.
Born July 15, 1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ventura served as a Navy UDT member during the Vietnam War, and later as mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1991 to 1995. In 1998, In a major upset, Ventura narrowly defeated both the Democratic and Republican candidates for Governor. He was the first and only candidate of the Reform Party to win a major government position. In his role as governor, he was known for both his independence and combativeness with political parties and the press.
August 19, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura's speech on the state’s role in dealing with the farm crisis, held at the Minnesota Rural Summit in Duluth.
August 24, 1999 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Janet Harvey of Elk River, who has submitted a “Jesse” quilt in the Fine Arts Competition at the Minneosta State Fair. Harvey explains her reason behind the full-size fabric portrait of Governor Ventura.
January 6, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports on Governor Jesse Ventura’s address to a group of employers, doctors, and health insurance administrators meeting in St. Paul to discuss the problem of rising health costs.
June 27, 2000 - MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with reporter Dan Gunderson about Governor Jesse Ventura’s fourth leg of Tour 2000. The Governor began his day in Moorhead and by tomorrow will visit 12 Northwestern Minnesota cities to talk about flood relief, the state of agriculture, and business development.
June 28, 2000 - Governor Ventura is wrapping up his two day bus tour of northwest Minnesota. MPR’s Dan Gunderson reports on one of the governor’s stops in Mahnomen, where he met privately with recently elected White Earth Tribal Chairman Doyle Turner and members of the tribal council.
June 28, 2000 - MPR’s Dan Gunderson reports on the second day of Governor Jesse Ventura’s bus tour through northwest Minnesota. The Governor has been drawing big, enthusiastic crowds at every stop. His focus has been partly on recent flooding in the Red River Valley, but he's also been outlining his vision for the future of rural Minnesota.
September 1, 2000 - Governor Jesse Ventura made what he says will be his only visit to this year's State Fair, in contrast to his nonstop campaigning there during the governor's race in 1998. But in addition to extolling the virtues of footlong hotdogs and lemonade, Ventura does some campaigning for his party in endorsing U.S. senate candidate Jim Gibson, and uses his “Lunch With the Governor" radio show to lay out his upcoming political agenda and to poke fun at the other politicians glad-handing at the fair.
September 27, 2000 - Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports that Governor Jesse Ventura spent the day in St Cloud, talking with students at St. Cloud Tech High School about the importance of voting. Ventura says it's part of his effort to increase turn out at the polls this November. He will also raise money for the Independence Party's U.S. Senate candidate, Jim Gibson.
November 14, 2000 - MPR’s Maris Helms reports that more than 300 government officials and business leaders were in St. Cloud to give Governor Jesse Ventura feedback on budget proposals he will take before the legislature in January. One of the top issues was funding K-12 education.
November 16, 2000 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on Governor Ventura's job with the XFL, a professional American football minor league, beginning in February 2001. XFL founder says Ventura was chosen because he is honest and opinionated. Legislators are not thrilled with the situation and are making their displeasure known.