Former Gov. Jesse Ventura Announces He Will Not Be Running For President
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura announced Friday morning that he is not going to pursue a Green Party presidential bid in the race against incumbent President Donald Trump.
"Unfortunately logistics are not going to allow that to happen," he said Friday morning.
Ventura explained that due to the timing of when the party would select a nominee, he would be required to lose his job and lose his health insurance in order to qualify. He said that his medical condition prevented him from being able to move forward.
Last month, Ventura tweeted that he was "testing the waters" for a presidential bid and if he were going to run for president, the Green party would be his first choice.
In a follow-up tweet, he clarified that he hadn't filed anything, but did authorize a letter of interest that was sent on his behalf to the Green Party. It wasn't the first time he hinted at a possible presidential bid.
Despite his decision not to entertain a presidential bid, Ventura shared a message for voters.
"This election we must elect a third-party candidate," Ventura said Friday morning. "If you elect Trump or Biden, the polarization continues and nothing changes."
Ventura was the surprise winner of 1998's gubernatorial race, with Ventura running as an Reform Party candidate against Democrat Skip Humphrey III and Republican Norm Coleman. Ventura was Minnesota's independent governor from 1999 to 2003.
Since his stint as the state's governor, he's written a number of books and currently hosts a show called "The World According to Jesse" on RT America.
