Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born American actor, politician, bodybuilder, and businessman, serving as the 38th Governor of California since 2003.
Recall Election
After sitting Governor Gray Davis instituted a new registration tax by executive order, infuriated citizens initiated a petition to place a measure on the ballot to remove him from office. Despite Democratic predictions that the petition would fail, it was delivered to then Secretary of State Kevin Shelley with more than the required number of signatures. In accordance with the law, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante became Acting Governor. Bustamante called a special election for October 7, 2003.
The election was the first in United States history. Approximately 180 citizens, from all walks of life, declared candidacy. Schwarzenegger was rumored to be considering a run for office, which was confirmed in a press release. Schwarzenegger and Cruz Bustamante quickly rose to the top of the candidate list.
After the election was over,
Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003, to serve the remainder of Davis' term. Schwarzenegger was then reelected by a landslide on November 7, 2006, in California's 2006 gubernatorial election to serve a full term as governor by defeating Democrat Phil Angelides, who was at that time the California State Treasurer.
Despite Schwarzenegger's claims of being a capitalist, he is a supporter of some socialist policies. He is a supporter of gun control and environmentalism. In fact, he is a staunch supporter of a law that mandates the use of Californian taxpayer money to fund the cloning and killing of human embryos for experimentation. Because these and other policies he is often referred to as a "RINO," a "Republican in Name Only" by many conservative Republicans.