Jesse Ventura Says He's Not Running for Senate
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Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura halted his political comeback before it began Monday, using a national TV platform to announce that he won't launch a third-party bid for the U.S. Senate "at this moment."
But Ventura kept the door open for a possible bid, saying things could change before the 5 p.m. Tuesday filing deadline.
In an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," the former pro wrestler squelched speculation about his possible effect on an already hard-fought race between incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" personality.
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"This was an agonizing decision for me," Ventura said. But he said his family fears they will be attacked in the media again if he runs, "because nothing is off-limits today in the world of politics."
For the past week, Minnesota's political class had waited to see if Ventura would really get back into the race — or if he was just enjoying a new chance to bask in the spotlight almost six years after he left the governor's office after a single term.