Will Arnold Be Back?!

According to recent polls, it's looking likely that, astonighingly, fewer adults in the Golden State of California would vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger again. 39% of respondents are inclined to re-elect the current governor next year, a 17 per cent drop since February.

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, won California’s recall election in October 2003 with 48.7 per cent of the vote, and will head the state’s government until January 2007.

On Jun. 13, Schwarzenegger called a special ballot on eight measures, which include changes to the time required for public teachers to gain tenure, instituting a spending cap, and transferring the authority over redistricting to a panel of retired judges. The election is scheduled for Nov. 8.

In prospective gubernatorial contests against four Democratic candidates, Schwarzenegger does better against fellow representatives of the entertainment industry. The current governor holds a nine per cent lead over actor Warren Beatty and a two per cent advantage over movie director Rob Reiner. Schwarzenegger trails both state treasurer Phil Angelides and state controller Steve Westly by four per cent.

The next gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 2006.

Schwarzenegger has not announced whether he plans to seek a second term.

The poll found that the governor's sagging political fortunes have bolstered the status of two Democrats who have announced they are running for governor. In hypothetical one-on-one matchups, the poll found that voters would chose state Treasurer Phil Angelides or Controller Steve Westly over Schwarzenegger

Global Arnold Staff

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