Less than a year ago it appeared that GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's career in politics might be the equivalent of a big-budget Hollywood production that was a flop with movie-goers and was quickly relegated to an obscure shelf at Blockbuster.
After succeeding in getting voters to approve some of his agenda items via the ballot box, Schwarzenegger tried to make a sequel in 2005. Voters, though, seemed weary of the tactic, as well as Schwarzenegger's tack to the right. The Governor's popularity and job approval numbers sank and his ballot initiatives were soundly defeated, giving Democrats hope that he would be an easy target this year.
But, like a true epic movie, Schwarzenegger has had a remarkable--and somewhat miraculous--recovery. In fact, rather than running as the underdog in the race, the incumbent is now slightly favored to win a second term.
Democrats nominated state Treasurer and former state party chairman Phil Angelides to take on Schwarzenegger. Angelides defeated state Comptroller Steve Westly in a hotly contested June primary, overcoming Westly's financial advantage and his relentless attacks on Angelides's real
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.