Jesse Ventura is on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s list of presidential running mates.
Rebecca Davis O’Brien of the New York Times reports that Kennedy Jr. has approached Jesse Venture, a former Minnesota governor, and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers about serving as his running mate. They would be on an independent presidential ticket, and sources said that both men have “welcomed the overtures.”
Kennedy himself confirmed that Ventura and Rodgers were at the top of the list, but it was unclear whether they had formally been offered the position. It was noted that Kennedy was still considering a shortlist of potential candidates.
Per Davis O’Brien, Kennedy said that he had been talking to Rodgers “pretty continuously” over the past month, and he has been in touch with Ventura since they met at a campaign event last month. Ventura previously said that he would consider an offer from Kennedy The article states that Ventura could not immediately be reached for comment.
More Details On Jesse Ventura Being On RFK Jr.’s List For Running Mate
Kennedy is expected to name his pick in the next few weeks, as deadlines in some states mandate that he has to have a vice-president pick in order to petition for ballot access. After initially running as a Democrat, Kennedy later announced that he would run as an independent.
Davis O’Brien reports that Kennedy and his camp have approached at least a half-dozen people to gauge their interest in the position. Kennedy is said to have spoken with Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Andrew Yang, per two people familiar with the discussions said. The other potential candidates have turned Kennedy down, or the conversations have not advanced, aside from Rodgers and Ventura, according to the sources.
Ventura had a successful wrestling career, and he also appeared in movies, such as Predator, and on television. He served one term as the governor of Minnesota after he was elected in 1998.
In 2020, Jesse Ventura considered running for presidentma presidential run and authored a letter of interest, but he decided against it.
As a wrestler, Ventura had a memorable run in WWF. At one point, he teamed up with Randy Savage. He later transitioned to commentary, and he had a brief run in WCW as well. Ventura returned to WWF in 1999, during his term as the governor of Minnesota, and served as the special guest referee for the main event of SummerSlam 1999. He has since made a few appearances over the years.
