October 7, 2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger Elected California Governor

On October 7, 2003, actor and former bodybuilding champion Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California in an extraordinary recall election that attracted national and international attention. Best known for starring in blockbuster films such as The Terminator, Schwarzenegger entered the race with limited political experience but emerged from a crowded field to become the state’s governor.

The unusual election centered on Democratic Governor Gray Davis, who had been reelected to a second term less than a year earlier. California’s constitution allows voters to remove an elected official before the end of a term through a recall election. A petition campaign against Davis gathered enough valid signatures to place the question before voters, setting the stage for the October 7 special election.

The ballot presented voters with two separate questions: whether Davis should be recalled and, if he was removed, which candidate should replace him. The race attracted an enormous field of candidates from across the political spectrum. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, announced his candidacy during an August 2003 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Schwarzenegger was already one of the world’s most recognizable celebrities. Born in Austria in 1947, he rose to prominence as a champion bodybuilder before moving into acting. His muscular physique and distinctive accent helped make him an international movie star, particularly through films such as Conan the Barbarian, Predator, Total Recall, and the Terminator series.

His campaign emphasized political and economic reform, while his celebrity status ensured intense media attention. Schwarzenegger had some previous involvement in public affairs, most notably serving as chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under President George H.W. Bush, but he had never before held elected office.

When Californians went to the polls, 55.4 percent voted to recall Davis, while 44.6 percent voted against removing him. In the replacement contest, Schwarzenegger received 4,206,284 votes, or 48.6 percent. Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante finished second with 31.5 percent, while Republican State Senator Tom McClintock received 13.5 percent.

Schwarzenegger was sworn in as California’s 38th governor on November 17, 2003, at the State Capitol in Sacramento. He later won a full term in 2006 and remained governor until January 2011, when term limits prevented him from seeking another term.

The October 7 election became one of the most unusual chapters in California political history. Davis became the first California governor ever removed through a recall election, while Schwarzenegger made the remarkable transition from bodybuilding champion and Hollywood action star to governor of the nation’s most populous state.