Ventura won’t run for Senate

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) announced Monday night that he would not launch a third-party bid for Senate.

The former professional wrestler, who served one term as governor beginning a decade ago, said on CNN’s “Larry King Live” that he “isn’t going to run, at this moment,” and that it would take an act of God to get him to file by Tuesday’s filing deadline.

{mosads}He said God has never spoken to him before.

“If between now and five o’clock, maybe God comes and speaks to me like he did the president, and tells me I should run like he apparently told to president to invade Iraq … just understand God sent me to file,” Ventura said with a wry smile.

Ventura has toyed with a potential Senate campaign for weeks and had said he would wait until close to Tuesday’s filing deadline to make a final decision.

He would have faced Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and comedian Al Franken (D), a veteran of Saturday Night Live.

Ventura’s refusal to run looks to be a break for the Democrat, whom he stole more votes from in polls on the race.

Ventura said he thinks it “bodes very badly for the Democrats” that he took so many votes from the Democrat when he wasn’t even a candidate and when Republicans are so unpopular.

Ventura shocked the nation by defeating Coleman and a Democrat in a three-way race for governor in 1998.

Franken also learned Monday that he would face a primary challenge from attorney Priscilla Lord Faris, who suggested she could spend $1-2 million on the race, according to the AP. Franken has been endorsed by the state party.

The primary is in September.