LOS ANGELES, 27 September 2003 — Arnold Schwarzenegger picked up key Republican endorsements on Thursday aimed at unifying the party behind him, just a day after the former Mr. Universe won generally positive marks in his only debate in the looming California gubernatorial recall election.
Conservative Bill Simon Jr., the novice politician who fought Democrat Gov. Gray Davis in last November’s election and then dropped out of the recall race partly because the actor had garnered so much attention, endorsed Schwarzenegger. Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, who financed the petitions to recall Davis, flew back to the state to endorse a candidate. He is expected to announce for Schwarzenegger, probably.
Republican Party county chairmen — the people charged with raising funds and bringing out the vote — endorsed Schwarzenegger after a meeting in Sacramento but stopped short of asking the other major Republican, state Sen. Tom McClintock, to drop out.
The California Republican County Chairmen’s Association, representing the state’s 58 counties, voted 40 to 9 with 5 abstentions to take the unusual step of endorsing a candidate to unify the party to take advantage of what they see as their best shot at putting a Republican in the governor’s office.
“We don’t want just a narrow victory. We want a decisive victory that sends a message to the Legislature,” Ron Nehring, the association president, said. Many California Republicans have embraced Schwarzenegger despite his moderate social views on abortion and gun control because they see him as best chance to win the election.
McClintock’s Political Director Steve Ding reiterated that the conservative state senator would not drop out despite enormous pressure placed on him by prominent party members. “It’s a shame that the association has done this. What this group has done is divided this party rather than bring it together,” Ding said, adding that grass-roots Republicans would support McClintock.
Meanwhile, Davis at a town hall-style meeting in Burbank charged that Schwarzenegger had mischaracterized the state’s problems and challenged the actor to set the record straight, possibly at a debate.
“I have made mistakes and I take responsibility for that,” Davis told voters. “If Mr. Schwarzenegger won’t set the record straight, I will have to debate him.” The embattled incumbent ridiculed Thursday’s debate of the five major candidate vying to replace him — and to which he was not invited — as “more like a food fight than a serious discussion.”
Polls show that Schwarzenegger is in a dead heat with Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to replace Davis should voters oust him in the first part of the Oct. 7 ballot.
