Ventura, Lavender Endorse Tammy Lee

Jesse Ventura endorsing Tammy Lee, the Independence Party candidate for the 5th Congressional district, isn't all that unusual. The location of the endorsement is. Ventura made national headlines in 1998 when the former pro-wrestler won the race for Minnesota Governor as the Reform Party candidate. Ventura converted to Independence Party and the controversial and quirky governor enjoyed very favorable approval ratings for much of his career.

In the latest issue of Lavender Magazine hitting newsstands tomorrow, Jesse Ventura makes the predictable move to endorse fellow party member Tammy Lee, while unpredictably granting the magazine an exclusive endorsement. Lavender also endorsed Tammy Lee in the same issue.

Perhaps it's Lee's outreach to the GLBT community coupled with Ventura's legacy as Minnesota's most GLBT-friendly Governor in state history that led Ventura to make the move. As the endorsement points out:

Ventura, who won the 1998 gubernatorial race in the biggest upset in Minnesota political history, was the most GLBT-friendly Minnesota Governor ever. He strongly pushed for equal rights for everyone, including GLBT persons. He appointed a number of GLBT individuals to important positions in his administration.

Also, not too mention Lavender's constant derision of Keith Ellison and Alan Fine:

Although disillusioned by Lee’s extremist opponents, Democrat Keith Ellision and Republican Alan Fine, many voters feel they have no alternative. But Lee certainly provides a moderate choice who can bring together a coalition of independent thinkers, commonsense Democrats, and rational Republicans around a program for change.

As I wrote after Lavender's endorsement of Ember Reichgott Junge, the magazine makes interesting and mostly ill-fated endorsements. It will be interesting to see if Minnesota will see another Ventura-style upset in the 5th and improve Lavender's endorsement track record, or if Lee's opponent, and equally GLBT-outspoken DFL candidate Keith Ellison will win the district as expected.