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By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Thursday, March 11, 1999

Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura will try to expand his political prowess this month as he works to elect the state's first Reform Party senator in a special election. Ventura endorsed Terry Anderson on Wednesday. Last week, Ventura told a local television reporter that he would like to see at least 12 state legislators elected from the Reform Party in 2000.

"While I have high regard for Vice President Gore, I think we do need to be mindful that in the past (vice presidents who run for president) have not produced victories for the Democratic Party." – N.Y. state Democratic Committee Chairwoman Judith Hope, on a Wednesday radio show. (The Times-Union, Albany, N.Y., March 11) .

• Ventura Stumps for Candidate to Boost Reform Party's Presence (The Star-Tribune, March 11)

Gore Seeks Bipartisan Bucks From Bush
Forget Buddhist nuns; Vice President Gore has a new fund-raising foible. Among the recipients of a recent Gore letter asking for money was Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who is exploring his own Republican presidential candidacy.
• Beating the Wrong Bush (The Dallas Morning News, March 11)

Bush Focus Back on Texas at Black Lawmaker Lunch
At a luncheon of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, Gov. George W. Bush (R) said he was keeping his focus on the state. "I'm the governor of everybody," he said. "It doesn't matter whether you voted for me or not. I'm the governor, and I'm going to work hard to be the governor for everybody."
• Bush: Texas is No. 1 on Agenda (The Austin American-Statesman, March 11)

Announcement Made, Dole Sets Out on Road
After announcing her presidential exploratory committee in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, Elizabeth Hanford Dole begins a national tour today starting in Arizona and ending in her native North Carolina.
• Dole Lines Up for White House Run (The Des Moines Register, March 11)
• Dole Visit a Sign of State's Importance (The Arizona Republic, March 11)
• Dole Gets Closer to Candidacy (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., March 11)

Both Tennessee Senators Endorse Alexander
Sens. Fred Thompson and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on Wednesday both endorsed the GOP presidential candidacy of former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander.
• Alexander Endorsed by Tennessee Senators (The Tennessean, Nashville, March 11)
• Alexander Pushing Drug Fight (The Tennessean, Nashville, March 11)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com