Hello, Readers

On Nov. 3, 1998, former professional wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura wins the gubernatorial election. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican candidates split much of the vote, and Reform Party candidate Ventura, who had been mayor of Brooklyn Park and host of a radio talk show on KSTP in the Twin Cities, takes the prize. Ventura would later switch his affiliation to the Independence Party of Minnesota, and his administration would focus on education and tax reform. Although it is too soon to evaluate his accomplishments, it is safe to say that, for color, even Rudy Perpich pales in comparison.