After months of debates and speculation, as of press time, movie star-turned Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has been projected to be the next governor of California. Schwarzenegger will succeed current Governor Gray Davis as the 38th governor of California.
The election brought out 135 candidates wooing for the job, including the current Lt. Governor, Democrat Cruz Bustamante, and Republican Tom McClintock. The recall also shone the light on several B-list celebrities, as well as many everyday citizens who simply used the recall campaign as a platform for their issues to be heard.
After serving less than a year of his second term, Davis has conceded the election to Schwarzenegger. Speaking to Californians, Davis said, “I will always be indebted to you ... but it is time for someone else to serve.” Davis also pledged to work with Schwarzenegger to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Already, before his term has even begun, Schwarzenegger has a bumpy road ahead of him. He will have to find ways to overcome the state’s $8 billion deficit and present his budget within 90 days. Additionally, there is already talk of a Democratic party movement to recall Schwarzenegger, similar to the one which ended up in this month’s recall election.
As of press time, Schwarzenegger had not commented on his victory.
Editor’s note: Senior Reporter John Reynolds contributed to this report. Some information for this article was gathered from msnbc.com and cnn.com.
