A former professional wrestler is throwing his hat in the ring for the Illinois governor’s race, according to a new report.
Jon “The Illustrious One” Stewart, 50, confirmed Wednesday to the Chicago Tribune that he will enter his candidacy as a member of the Libertarian Party.
"Politics is wrestling with suits and ties on," Stewart told the Tribune’s Chicago Inc. column. "I'm comfortable on a mic, and I'm not afraid to tell the truth."
Stewart reportedly ran as a Republican for the state House in 1997 as a client of Kellyanne Conway, now counselor to President Donald Trump.
"She's probably one of the smartest people I've ever met so I'm not surprised she has got to where she is,” he told the newspaper.
Stewart said he voted for Trump and considers the president a “Molotov cocktail thrown into the system in Washington, D.C.,” the paper reported.
Matt Scaro and Kash Jackson, both of the Illinois Libertarian Party, have also announced their candidacies for governor.
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Stewart told the Tribune he believes Illinois’ politics are broken, calling the current state “surreal.”
“"How can the Democrats and the Republicans say, 'Give us one more chance?’” he asked.
He noted Trump as well as Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s successful bid for governor of Minnesota in 1998 as an “outsider” success story.