1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election

← 1994 November 3, 1998 2002 →

Nominee Jesse Ventura Norm Coleman Skip Humphrey Party Reform Republican Democratic–Farmer–Labor Running mate Mae Schunk Gen Olson Roger Moe Popular vote 773,713 717,350 587,528 Percentage 37.0% 34.3% 28.1%

County results Ventura:      30-40%      40-50%      50-60% Coleman:      30–40%      40–50% Humphrey:      30-40%      40-50%      50–60%

Governor before election Arne Carlson Republican Elected Governor Jesse Ventura Reform

The 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election was a big election in Minnesota. It happened on November 3, 1998. People voted for who they wanted to be the next governor.

A candidate from the Reform Party, Jesse Ventura, won. This was a huge surprise! He beat two other main candidates. They were Norm Coleman from the Republican Party and Skip Humphrey from the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.

Jesse Ventura's win was historic because he was a former professional wrestler. He was also a "third-party" candidate. This means he wasn't from one of the two biggest parties (Republican or Democratic). The Reform Party was founded by Ross Perot. Perot had also done well in Minnesota in earlier presidential elections.

Choosing Candidates: The Primaries

Before the main election, each major party chose their candidate. This process is called a primary election. Voters picked who they wanted to represent their party.

Democratic Primary Race

In the Democratic Party, Skip Humphrey won the primary election. He became the candidate for governor. Humphrey received the most votes among several people. These included Mike Freeman, Doug Johnson, Mark Dayton, and Ted Mondale.

Republican Primary Race

For the Republican Party, Norm Coleman won their primary election. He easily became their candidate for governor. Coleman received a large majority of the votes. He ran against Bill Dahn in this primary.

Main Election Results

The main election was held on November 3, 1998. People voted for their favorite candidate. Jesse Ventura won the election. He became the new governor of Minnesota.