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GOVERNOR VENTURA SPEECHES COLLECTION

photo of Governor VenturaJesse Ventura was governor of Minnesota from 1999-2002. A professional wrestler turned movie star, and then mayor of Brooklyn Park, Ventura's election to the governor's office took Minnesota and the nation by surprise. His third party politics were framed by fiscal conservatism and social liberalism, and marked by flamboyance and frequent controversy. Initially with the Reform Party, Ventura left in mid-term for the Independence Party.

These speeches were delivered by Governor Jesse Ventura to a variety of audiences, from high school students to policy advisors to journalists. Many of them address business growth, tourism, the importance of citizen participation in government, transportation and light-rail transit, the benefits of a single house legislature, and the need to refine the bureaucratic processes of government. State of the State addresses, his responses to the September 11th tragedy, and speeches on international trips, are included in the series.

The Collection

The collection is comprised of 327 speeches from 1998 to 2002. It is not a complete collection of his speeches. The text often served only to guide Ventura's words, and even when making a formal address, Ventura was known to speak "off the cuff." Images and audio clips are available for selected speeches. Speeches were dated by the Governor's Office, and there is a series of undated speeches.