Jesse Ventura facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jesse Ventura
Ventura in 2024
38th Governor of Minnesota
In office January 4, 1999 – January 6, 2003
Lieutenant	Mae Schunk
Preceded by	Arne Carlson
Succeeded by	Tim Pawlenty
Mayor of Brooklyn Park
In office January 11, 1991 – January 13, 1995
Preceded by	James Krautkremer
Succeeded by	Grace Arbogast
Personal details
Born	James George Janos (1951-07-15) July 15, 1951 (age 73) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Independent (1969–1998, 2003–present)
Other political affiliations	Independence (2000–2003) Reform (1998–2000)
Spouse	Theresa Larson Masters ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	2
Residences	White Bear Lake, Minnesota, U.S. Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Education	North Hennepin Community College
Occupation	Politician actor professional wrestler television presenter author commentator
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1969–1975
Rank	Petty officer third class
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	National Defense Service Medal
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Jesse "The Body" Ventura Surf Ventura
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Billed weight	245 lb (111 kg)
Billed from	San Diego, California Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Trained by	Eddie Sharkey
Debut	1974
Retired	1986

Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. He became well-known in the World Wrestling Federation. From 1999 to 2003, he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota. He was elected governor with the Reform Party. He is the only person from that party to win a major government job.

Ventura was part of the United States Navy's Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War. After leaving the military, he started a professional wrestling career. From 1975 to 1986, he wrestled as a "heel," which means he played the bad guy. His wrestling name was "Jesse 'the Body' Ventura." He worked for the WWF/WWE for many years as a wrestler and a color commentator, who explains the action. He was added to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Ventura also acted in movies like Predator and The Running Man.

In 1991, Ventura got into politics. He was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and held that job until 1995. In 1998, he ran for governor of Minnesota as the Reform Party candidate. His campaign didn't cost much money. It focused on local events and unusual ads that told people not to "vote for politics as usual." Many people first thought he was just a joke candidate. But Ventura surprised everyone by beating both the Democratic and Republican candidates. After becoming governor, he left the Reform Party. He finished his term as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. Since then, Ventura has called himself a "statesman" instead of a politician.

As governor, Ventura made changes to Minnesota's property tax. He also gave the state its first sales tax rebate. He helped build the METRO Blue Line light rail system. He also cut income taxes. Ventura did not run for governor again. After leaving office in 2003, he became a special guest at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has hosted political TV shows and written several books. Ventura has often talked about running for President as an independent candidate.

In 2020, Ventura showed interest in running for president with the Green Party. He joined the Green Party of Minnesota on May 2. But on May 7, he said he would not run. The Green Party of Alaska nominated Ventura without his permission. This caused the national Green Party to distance itself from the Alaska party.

Early Life and Military Service

Ventura was born James George Janos on July 15, 1951. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents, George William Janos and Bernice Martha, were both World War II veterans. His mother was a nurse, and his father worked for the Minneapolis Street Department.

Ventura has an older brother who served in the Vietnam War. Ventura says he is Slovak because his father's parents were from Slovakia. His mother was of German descent. Ventura grew up as a Lutheran. He went to Cooper Elementary School and Sanford Junior High School. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1969. In 2014, Roosevelt High School put Ventura in its first hall of fame.

Ventura served in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1975. This was during the Vietnam War, but he did not see combat. He completed special training in December 1970. He was part of Underwater Demolition Team 12.

Ventura often talks about his time in the military. He was criticized for saying in a 2001 interview, "Until you have hunted men, you haven't hunted yet."

Life After the Navy

Near the end of his Navy service, Ventura spent time with the "South Bay" chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle Club in San Diego. He would ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle onto Naval Base Coronado. He wore his Mongol "colors," which are like club badges. Ventura said he was a full member and a leader in his chapter. He also said he never had problems with the police. His biker nickname was "Superman."

In 1974, Ventura left the bike club and went back to Minnesota. Soon after, the Mongols started fighting with their rivals, the Hells Angels. In 2018, Ventura spoke in court for the Mongols. He defended the club against claims that it was a criminal group. He said he was still an inactive member of the Mongols. He called his time with the club "a stepping stone" to help him move from military life back to civilian life.

Ventura went to North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in the mid-1970s. He used money from the G.I. Bill to pay for it. At the same time, he started lifting weights and wrestling. He also joined the Japan Karate Association. For a while, he worked as a bodyguard for bands like The Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead. Then he started professional wrestling and took the name Jesse Ventura.

Professional Wrestling Career

Early Wrestling Days

Ventura created his stage name, Jesse "The Body" Ventura. It matched his character of a tough, muscular beach bodybuilder. He picked "Ventura" from a map. He wanted to seem like a "bleach blond from California." As a wrestler, Ventura played the "heel," or bad guy. He said he could be more creative as a villain. He used an old motto: "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!" He even put this on his T-shirts. He got many ideas for his flashy character from "Superstar" Billy Graham. Years later, as a commentator, Ventura joked that Graham stole his wrestling outfit ideas.

In 1975, Ventura started wrestling in the Central States area. Then he moved to the Pacific Northwest. There, he wrestled for Don Owen as Jesse "The Great" Ventura. He later moved to his hometown wrestling company, the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in Minnesota. In 1979, he started teaming with Adrian Adonis. They were called the "East-West Connection." In 2012, Ventura said that Verne Gagne gave him the nickname "the Body" after he joined the AWA.

The duo won the AWA World Tag Team Championship on July 20, 1980. They won because Gagne, who was one of the champions, did not show up for a match. Ventura and Adonis held the championship for almost a year. They lost to "The High Flyers" (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell).

Return to WWE

In 1999, Ventura came back to WWE television. He was serving as governor of Minnesota at the time. He was the special guest referee for the main event of SummerSlam. This event was held in Minneapolis. He continued to work with WWE by doing commentary for Vince McMahon's XFL football league.

On June 4, 2001, Ventura appeared on Raw. He seemed to overrule Vince McMahon. He approved a WWE championship match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Chris Jericho.

On March 20, 2003, Ventura appeared in a taped interview on SmackDown!. He talked about a match between McMahon and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania XIX.

On March 13, 2004, Ventura was put into the WWE Hall of Fame. The next night, at WrestleMania XX, he interviewed Donald Trump. Trump was sitting in the front row. Trump said he would support Ventura if he ran for politics again. Ventura then said, "I think we oughta put a wrestler in the White House in 2008!"

Ventura was a guest host on Raw on November 23, 2009. He kept his "heel" character. He sided with Sheamus over WWE Champion John Cena. Ventura told Cena it was unfair that Cena always got a title shot. Ventura never got one during his WWE career. After this, Sheamus attacked Cena. Ventura then made their next match a Table match. During the show, Vince McMahon joined Ventura to do commentary. This was the first time in almost 20 years.

On December 14, 2024, Ventura returned to Saturday Night's Main Event. He was a commentator with Joe Tessitore. He also called the main event match for the Undisputed WWE Championship. This match was between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens.

Acting Career

Near the end of his wrestling career, Ventura started acting. He was in the movie Predator (1987). This movie also starred future California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ventura became good friends with Schwarzenegger while making Predator. He was in two episodes of Zorro in 1991. He had a main role in the 1990 sci-fi movie Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe.

He also had supporting roles in other movies. These include The Running Man (again with Schwarzenegger), No Holds Barred, and Demolition Man. He was also in Batman & Robin, which also starred Schwarzenegger. Ventura made a quick appearance in Major League II as "White Lightning." He was a self-help guru (voice only) in The Ringer. Ventura had a cameo in The X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space". In 2008, Ventura was in the comedy Woodshop. He played a high school shop teacher, Mr. Madson. The movie came out in 2010.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role
1987	Predator	Blain Cooper
	The Running Man	'Captain Freedom'
1989	Thunderground	The Man
	No Holds Barred	Himself
1990	Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe	Abraxas
	Repossessed	Himself
1991	Tagteam	Bobby Youngblood
	Ricochet	Jake Chewalski
1993	Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun	DMV Testee
	Demolition Man	CryoCon
1994	Major League II	Himself
1997	Batman & Robin	Arkham Asylum Guard
2000	Ready to Rumble	Himself
2001	Joe Somebody	Himself
2002	The Master of Disguise	Himself
2003	Stuck on You	Himself
2005	The Ringer	Motivational Speaker
2008	Borders	Conrad
2010	Woodshop	Mr. Madson
2014	The ...	Governor Littleton

Other Media Appearances

Ventura worked as a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones in the late 1970s and 1980s. The band's lead singer, Mick Jagger, praised him.

In the late 1980s, Ventura appeared in several Miller Lite commercials.

In 1989, Ventura co-hosted a children's TV show called Record Breakers: World of Speed. In 1991, he starred in a pilot episode for a TV show called Tag Team. It was about two former professional wrestlers who became police officers.

Ventura also co-hosted a game show called The Grudge Match.

Between 1995 and 1998, Ventura had radio call-in shows in Minnesota. He also had a small role on the TV soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1999.

On April 12, 1996, Ventura starred in The X-Files as a mysterious Man in Black.

Ventura was criticized for making money from his popularity. He was a TV analyst for the XFL football league in 2001. He was a referee at a WWF SummerSlam match in 1999. He also published several books while he was governor. On his radio show, he often said the media focused on these deals instead of his policy ideas.

From 2009 to 2012, TruTV showed three seasons of Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura.

Ventura had a guest role on the 2012 animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Nickelodeon.

In 2013, Ventura announced a new show, Jesse Ventura: Uncensored. It started in 2014 and was later renamed Off the Grid. It aired until 2016 on Ora TV, an online video network.

In 2017, Ventura became the host of The World According to Jesse on RT America. The show ended in March 2022. This happened after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Political Career

Mayor of Brooklyn Park

After leaving the WWF, Ventura decided to run for mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in 1990. He won, beating the mayor who had been in office for 18 years. He served as mayor from 1991 to 1995. Many professional wrestling stars have entered politics. Ventura is one of the few who kept wrestling while holding a government job. He was both mayor and a wrestling commentator for WCW for much of his time as mayor.

Governor of Minnesota

Ventura ran for governor of Minnesota in 1998. He was the candidate for the Reform Party of Minnesota. He later joined the Independence Party of Minnesota. His campaign used local events and unique TV ads. The ads told people not to "vote for politics as usual." He spent much less money than his opponents, about $300,000. He was one of the first to use the Internet to reach voters.

He won the election in November 1998. He surprisingly beat the main party candidates. These were Republican mayor Norm Coleman and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Attorney General Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III. After winning, Ventura famously said, "We shocked the world!" People in Minnesota started putting "My governor can beat up your governor" on bumper stickers and T-shirts.

In 2002, after a trip to China, Ventura said he would not run for a second term. He said he no longer felt dedicated enough to his job. He also said the media bothered him and his family too much. He felt they ignored important policy issues. He later told a reporter that he would have run again if he had been single. He blamed the media's effect on his family life.

Ventura caused some discussion when he suggested he might leave office early. He wanted his lieutenant governor, Mae Schunk, to have a chance to be governor. He said he wanted her to be the state's first female governor. He wanted her portrait hung in the Capitol. Ventura quickly took back these comments, saying he was just sharing an idea.

Ventura's Political Ideas as Governor

In political debates, Ventura often said he had not yet decided on some policy questions. He often called himself "fiscally conservative and socially liberal." This means he liked careful spending but supported social freedoms. He chose teacher Mae Schunk as his running mate.

Ventura did not have many supporters in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate. So, his policy ideas had little chance of becoming laws. He stopped 45 bills in his first year. Only three of these were passed anyway. He became known for his vetoes being overturned in his last year. Six of his nine vetoes were overridden then.

Still, Ventura succeeded with some of his plans. One important one was the rebate on sales tax. Each year he was governor, Minnesotans received a tax-free check. The state had extra money at the time, and Ventura believed it should be given back to the people.

He supported public school education with good funding. However, he did not support the teachers' union. He also did not think highly of public funding for colleges and universities.

In an interview, he said he supported gay rights. This included marriage and military service. He joked that he would have liked serving with homosexuals in the Navy. He said they would have meant less competition for women. Later, he spoke about a 2012 vote to limit marriage to male-female couples. Ventura said, "I certainly hope that people don't amend our constitution to stop gay marriage." He said the constitution should protect people, not harm them.

Early in his time as governor, Ventura strongly pushed for changes in land use. He also wanted big improvements to mass transit, like light rail.

During a trip to Cuba in 2002, he spoke against the United States embargo against Cuba. He said the embargo hurt the Cuban people more than their government.

Ventura was very unhappy with some events at a memorial for Senator Paul Wellstone in 2002. Wellstone and his family died in a plane crash. Ventura said, "I feel used... that the memorial ceremony turned into a political rally." He left during a controversial speech. Ventura had planned to appoint a Democrat to Wellstone's seat. Instead, he appointed Dean Barkley to represent Minnesota in the Senate.

Ventura ran as a Reform Party candidate. He wanted third parties to have a bigger role in American politics. He often criticized both Democrats and Republicans. He called both parties "monsters that are out of control." He said they cared only about "their own agendas."

Criticisms During Governorship

Ventura faced criticism for not living in the governor's mansion. He chose to live at his home in Maple Grove instead. This happened after the state government refused to spend more money on security for the mansion.

In 1999, some citizens tried to remove Governor Ventura from office. They claimed he used state security for his book tour, which was illegal. The Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice dismissed their request. Ventura asked for money to cover his legal fees, but this was denied.

Ventura was also criticized for how he handled Minnesota's state budget. The state's capital gain dropped from $9 billion to $4 billion between 2000 and 2001. Ventura had vetoed this budget, but the state legislature passed it anyway. When Ventura left office in 2003, Minnesota had a $4.2 billion budget deficit. This was a big change from the $3 billion surplus when he started in 1999.

During his time as governor, Ventura often faced criticism from the Minnesota press. He called reporters "media jackals." The label "Official Jackal" even appeared on press passes for his press area. After Ventura was elected, writer Garrison Keillor wrote a funny book about him. Ventura was first angry about the book, but later said Keillor "makes Minnesota proud." Ventura appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman. He joked that Minneapolis was better than St. Paul. He said St. Paul's streets "must have been designed by drunken Irishmen." He later apologized for the joke.

Thinking About Other Political Jobs

Ventura has not held public office since 2003. But he has stayed active in politics. He has sometimes hinted at running for office again. In 2008, he said he was thinking about running for the United States Senate. A poll showed him behind the other candidates. On Larry King Live in 2008, Ventura said he would not run. He was worried about his family's privacy.

In his 1999 book, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed, Ventura said he did not plan to run for president. But he did not rule it out. In 2003, he showed interest in running for president. He spoke at Ron Paul's "Rally for the Republic" in 2008. He hinted at a possible future run for president. Ventura said if the public wanted change, then "in 2012 we'll give them a race they'll never forget!" In 2011, Ventura said he would be interested in running with Ron Paul in 2012. This would happen if Paul ran as an independent.

In late 2015, Ventura thought about running for president in 2016 as a Libertarian. But he missed his own deadline to decide. He also said he would be open to being Donald Trump's or Bernie Sanders's running mate. Ventura tried to support Sanders, but his support was not accepted. Ventura then supported former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate. He said, "Johnson is a very viable alternative." He later claimed he voted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

2020 Presidential Campaign (Not Authorized)

Ventura showed interest in running for president again in 2020. He said he would only do it under the Green Party. "The [Green Party] has shown some interest," he said. "If I do do it, Trump will not have a chance." He added that Trump knows wrestling and that he is the "greatest talker wrestling's ever had."

On April 27, 2020, Ventura sent a letter to the Green Party. This was the first step to seek their presidential nomination. In May, he announced he would not run due to health reasons. He explained he would lose his employer-provided health insurance.

Ventura said he would write in his own name for president. But he would support Green Party candidates in other elections. He said he would not "vote for 'the lesser of two evils'." Ventura received seven delegate votes at the 2020 Green National Convention. This was from write-in votes in the Green primaries. The national Green Party nominated Howie Hawkins for president. But the Green Party of Alaska nominated Ventura and Cynthia McKinney without Ventura's permission. Ventura and McKinney received 0.7% of the votes in Alaska.

Political Views

Ventura has called himself "fiscally conservative" and "socially liberal." He said his first memory of political independence was voting for John Anderson for president in 1980.

Questions About 9/11

In 2008, Ventura spoke in several radio interviews about his book. He said he was concerned about unanswered questions about 9/11. He talked about the idea that the World Trade Center was destroyed with explosives. These comments were reported in newspapers and on TV.

On May 18, 2009, Sean Hannity asked Ventura how George W. Bush could have prevented the September 11 attacks. Ventura replied, "you pay attention to memos on August 6th that tell you exactly what bin Laden's gonna do."

On April 9, 2011, Piers Morgan asked Ventura for his view of 9/11. Ventura said, "My theory of 9/11 is that we certainly—at the best we knew it was going to happen. They allowed it to happen to further their agenda in the Middle East and go to these wars."

Other Activities

Life After Being Governor

Ventura's term as governor ended on January 6, 2003. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, took over.

In October 2003, Ventura started a weekly show on MSNBC called Jesse Ventura's America. The show was canceled after a few months. Ventura claimed it was canceled because he was against the Iraq War. MSNBC still paid him for his three-year contract. This stopped him from doing other TV or news shows.

In October 2004, former Maine Governor Angus King supported John Kerry for president. Ventura was with him at the Minnesota state capitol. Ventura did not speak at the press conference. King said Ventura planned to vote for Kerry but did not want to make a statement. In the 2012 Senate elections, Ventura supported King's campaign for the Senate seat in Maine. King won.

In August 2005, Ventura became a spokesperson for BetUS, an online sportsbook.

On December 29, 2011, Ventura announced his support for Ron Paul on The Alex Jones Show. He called Paul "the only anti-war candidate." Like Paul, Ventura supports a less interventionist foreign policy. But after Mitt Romney became the likely Republican candidate in May 2012, Ventura supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Ventura said Johnson was the choice for voters who "really want to rebel."

In September 2012, Ventura and his wife appeared in an advertisement. They asked voters to reject a vote in Minnesota to ban same-sex marriage. The vote was defeated.

In October 2022, Ventura supported current governor Tim Walz for reelection in an advertisement. He praised Walz for handling the COVID-19 pandemic. He also praised Walz for protecting women's rights and democracy.

In March 2024, Ventura publicly supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid. Kennedy then considered Ventura as a candidate for vice president.

After Kennedy left the race, Ventura supported Kamala Harris. He strongly defended Walz against attacks from Republicans. They questioned Walz's military service. Ventura said Walz served well even after retirement age. He accused Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance of being a hypocrite. He said Vance attacked Walz while supporting Donald Trump, who avoided serving in the Vietnam War.

Books Written by Ventura

Ventura wrote several books after leaving office. On April 1, 2008, his book Don't Start the Revolution Without Me was released. In it, Ventura describes a made-up campaign where he runs for president as an independent in 2008. Ventura said the book was only imaginary. He denied any plans to run for president. Ventura's agent said the book explained why he left politics. It also discussed the war in Iraq and why he thought the two-party system was corrupt.

Ventura also wrote DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government. This book came out on June 11, 2012. In it, Ventura shows his dislike for the two-party system. He calls for political parties to be removed.

Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura

In December 2009, Ventura hosted TruTV's new show Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura. TruTV said Ventura would "hunt down answers." He would take viewers into a world of "secret meetings" and "dark forces." On the show, Ventura traveled the country. He investigated cases and talked to people who believed and doubted theories. Then he decided if a theory was true. The first episode had 1.6 million viewers. This was a record for a new show on the network.

The first season was followed by a second in 2010 and a third in 2012. The show ended in 2013. But as of 2017, it is still shown on satellite TV around the world.

We The People Podcast

On July 31, 2014, Ventura started a weekly podcast called We The People. It was distributed by Adam Carolla's "Carolla Digital." The podcast ran until March 4, 2015. Guests included Larry King, Bill Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Roddy Piper, and Donald Trump.

Disputes and Lawsuits

Navy SEAL Background

Bill Salisbury, a lawyer and former Navy SEAL officer, said Ventura was "pretending" to be a SEAL. He wrote that Ventura blurred the difference between a SEAL and a frogman with the UDT. UDTs saw less combat and had fewer injuries than SEAL teams.

Ventura completed BUD/S training. He was assigned to a UDT team. He received the UDT designation after six months with Underwater Demolition Team 12. He was never given the SEAL designation. This requires six months with SEAL TEAM ONE or TWO. In 1983, eight years after Ventura left the Navy, the UDTs were ended. Those operators were then trained as SEALs.

Ventura's office confirmed he was a UDT member. His spokesman said Ventura never tried to trick people. Ventura said, "Today we refer to all of us as SEALs. That's all it is." He said the accusations of lying were "much ado about nothing."

Former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb wrote that Ventura "earned his status." He disagreed that Ventura was only UDT and not a SEAL. He said, "The UDTs and SEALs are essentially one and the same."

Lawsuit Against the TSA

In January 2011, Ventura sued the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He wanted a court to say that the agency's new pat-down policy was against citizens' Fourth Amendment rights. He also wanted to stop the TSA from patting him down. Ventura had a titanium hip replacement in 2008. This made metal detectors go off at airports.

The U.S. district court dismissed the lawsuit in November 2011. They said that challenges to TSA policies must go to the U.S. courts of appeals. After the ruling, Ventura held a press conference. He called the federal judges "cowards." He said he no longer felt patriotic. He said he would call the U.S. the "Fascist States of America." He also said he would never fly on commercial flights again. He would seek dual citizenship in Mexico. He said he would "never stand for a national anthem again" and would instead raise a fist.

Chris Kyle Dispute

In January 2012, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle said he had punched Ventura. This happened in 2006 at a bar in Coronado, California. It was during a memorial for Michael A. Monsoor, a SEAL killed in Iraq. Kyle said Ventura was loudly speaking against the War in Iraq. Kyle wrote about the event in his book but did not name Ventura. Kyle said he asked Ventura to quiet down because SEAL families were there. He said Ventura replied that the SEALs "deserved to lose a few guys." Kyle said he then punched Ventura. Ventura said the event did not happen.

Lawsuit Details

In January 2012, Kyle refused to take back his statement. Ventura then sued Kyle for defamation in federal court. Kyle's lawyer tried to dismiss parts of the lawsuit. Five former SEALs and the mothers of two others supported Kyle's story. But Ventura's friend, Bill DeWitt, who was at the bar, said Ventura had no fight with Kyle. DeWitt's wife also said she saw no fight.

In 2013, while the lawsuit was ongoing, Kyle was killed in a separate event. Ventura then sued Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle's widow. After a three-week trial in July 2014, the jury decided in Ventura's favor. They awarded him $1.85 million. This included money for defamation and for "unjust enrichment." Ventura testified at the trial. In August 2014, the judge upheld the jury's decision. Kyle's estate appealed the decision.

On June 13, 2016, the appeals court overturned part of the judgment. They sent the defamation judgment back for a new trial. Ventura tried to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. But in January 2017, the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal.

In December 2014, Ventura sued the publisher HarperCollins. In December 2017, Ventura and HarperCollins settled the dispute. The terms were not made public. Ventura dropped his lawsuit against the publisher and Kyle's estate.

Personal Life

Family Life

On July 18, 1975, Ventura married his wife, Terry. He was 24 years old. They have two children: a son, Tyrel, and a daughter, Jade. Tyrel is a film and television director and producer. Except for the first two WrestleManias, Ventura always said hello to "Terry, Tyrel and Jade back in Minneapolis" during his commentary. Tyrel also put his father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Tyrel worked on Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura.

Ventura and his wife live in two places. They split their time between White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Health and Beliefs

In 2002, Ventura was in the hospital for a serious blood clot in his lungs. This was the same kind of injury that ended his wrestling career.

In 1999, Ventura said he was baptized a Lutheran. Later, he said he was an atheist.

In April 2011, Ventura said on The Howard Stern Show that he is an atheist. He said his beliefs might stop him from being elected in the future. "I don't believe you can be an atheist and admit it and get elected in our country," he said. In an October 2010 CNN interview, Ventura called religion the "root of all evil." He added, "you notice every war is fought over religion."

As governor, Ventura supported equal rights for religious minorities. He also supported people who do not believe in God. He declared July 4, 2002, "Indivisible Day." He accidentally proclaimed October 13–19, 2002, "Christian Heritage Week" in Minnesota.

Championships and Accomplishments

• American Wrestling Association
  • AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Adrian Adonis
• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Iron Mike Mazurki Award (1999)
• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (1 time) – with Tank Patton
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Frank Gotch Award (2003)
• NWA Hawaii
  • NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Steve Strong
• Pacific Northwest Wrestling
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Bull Ramos (2), Buddy Rose (2) and Jerry Oates (1)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 239 of the top 500 singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
  • Ranked No. 67 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Adrian Adonis
• Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter
  • Wrestler of the Year (1976)
• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards
  • Best Color Commentator (1987–1990)

Election History

1990 Brooklyn Park mayoral election
Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Jesse Ventura, non-partisan	12,728	63.3	gain
Jim Krautkremer (inc.), non-partisan	7,390	36.7	loss

1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Jesse Ventura	773,713	37.0	n/a
	Republican	Norm Coleman	717,350	34.3	-29.0
	Democratic (DFL)	Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III	587,528	28.1	-6.0
	Green	Ken Pentel	7,034	0.3	n/a
		Others	5,365	0.3	n/a
		Write-ins	776		n/a
Majority			56,363	2.7
Turnout			2,091,766	60.0
	Reform gain from Republican		Swing

2020 United States presidential election in Alaska
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Donald Trump Mike Pence	189,951	52.8	+1.6
	Democratic	Joe Biden Kamala Harris	153,778	42.8	+6.2
	Libertarian	Jo Jorgensen Spike Cohen	8,897	2.5	−3.4
	Green	Jesse Ventura Cynthia McKinney	2,673	0.7	−1.1
	Constitution	Don Blankenship William Mohr	1,127	0.3	−0.9
	Independent	Brock Pierce Karla Ballard	825	0.2	N/A
	Alliance	Rocky De La Fuente Darcy Richardson	318	0.1	N/A
	Write-in		1,961	0.6	N/A
Total votes			359,530	100	+6.7
	Republican hold		Swing

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