1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election

1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election

← 1994 November 3, 1998 2002 →

Nominee Jesse Ventura Norm Coleman Skip Humphrey Party Reform Republican Democratic (DFL) 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 took place on November 3, 1998. Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura beat Republican Party challenger Norm Coleman and Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party challenger Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III.^[1]

Ventura's victory as a third party candidate was seen as a historic major upset, especially since he was a former professional wrestler. He ran on the Reform Party ticket, a party which had been founded by two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot who had received 23% of the vote in Minnesota in the 1992 presidential election and 12% in the 1996 election.^[2]

1. ↑ "Minnesota primary results - September 15, 1998". CNN.
2. ↑ "A 'Bad Boy' Wrestler's Unscripted Upset". The New York Times. 5 November 1998.