Results of the 2003 California recall
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The following are the results of the 2003 California recall election held on October 7, 2003 which unseated Gray Davis and propelled actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the governorship.
Candidates
Over 600 Californians took out papers to become gubernatorial candidates and 247 filed those papers. Of those, 135 were certified by the Secretary of State as having met the requirements to be a candidate.
Of the candidates, the party affiliation breakdown was:
- 50 Democrats
- 43 Republicans
- 32 independents
- 4 Greens
- 3 Libertarians
- 2 Natural Law Party
- 1 American Independent
- 1 Peace and Freedom
Results
It was a two-question ballot, with the first question being whether the sitting governor should be recalled. The second question was to decide who ought to replace the governor, in case a majority voted yes on the recall question.
The voters of California decided to recall governor Gray Davis by a 5 to 4 margin (55.4% in favor of recall vs. 44.6% against recall). There were more votes for Schwarzenegger than for the next three candidates combined, including fellow Republican McClintock. There were also more votes for Schwarzenegger than votes against recalling Davis (some were concerned beforehand that Davis' replacement might not reach this level). Voters elected Arnold Schwarzenegger to become Davis's replacement by a plurality of 48.6% to runner-up Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante's 31.5%.
Following the election, all 58 of California's counties had 28 days (until November 4, 2003) each to conduct a countywide canvass of their votes. Counties used this time to count any absentee ballots or provisional ballots not yet counted, to reconcile the number of signatures on the roster of registered voters with the number of ballots recorded on the ballot statement, to count any valid write-in votes, to reproduce any damaged ballots, if necessary, and to conduct a hand count of the ballots cast in 1% of the precincts, chosen at random by the elections official.
Counties then had 7 days from the conclusion of canvassing (November 11, 2003, 35 days after the election) to submit their final vote totals to the California Secretary of State's office. The Secretary of State had to certify the final statewide vote by 39 days (until November 15) after the election. The vote was officially certified on November 14, 2003. Once the vote was certified, governor-elect Schwarzenegger had to be sworn-in to office within 10 days. His inauguration took place on Monday, November 17, making Schwarzenegger the 38th Governor of California.
Candidates appear with party designations and ballot descriptions as provided by the California Secretary of State. Source of election numbers: California Secretary of State's website (http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/sov/2003_special/contents.htm)
Certified election results
Shall Gray Davis be recalled (removed) from the office of Governor?
| Yes | 4,976,274 votes | 55.4% |
| No | 4,007,783 votes | 44.6% |
| Votes Not Cast | 429,431 | 4.6% of ballots |
Candidates to succeed Gray Davis as Governor if he is recalled:
| Candidate | Ballot designation | Party | Number of votes | % of votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Actor/Businessman | Republican | 4,206,284 | 48.6 |
| Cruz M. Bustamante | Lieutenant Governor | Democratic | 2,724,874 | 31.5 |
| Tom McClintock | State Senator | Republican | 1,161,287 | 13.5 |
| Peter Miguel Camejo | Financial Investment Advisor | Green | 242,247 | 2.8 |
| Arianna Huffington (withdrew September 30, 2003) | Author/Columnist/Mother | Independent | 47,505 | 0.6 |
| Peter V. Ueberroth (withdrew September 9, 2003) | Businessman/Olympics Advisor | Republican | 25,134 | 0.3 |
| Larry Flynt | Publisher | Democratic | 17,458 | 0.3 |
| Gary Coleman | Actor | Independent | 14,242 | 0.2 |
| George B. Schwartzman | Businessman | Independent | 12,382 | 0.2 |
| Mary Cook | Adult Film Actress | Independent | 11,179 | 0.2 |
| Bruce Martin Margolin | Marijuana Legalization Attorney | Democratic | 9,188 | 0.2 |
| Bill Simon (withdrew August 23, 2003) | Businessman | Republican | 8,913 | 0.2 |
| Van Vo | Radio Producer/Businessman | Republican | 7,226 | 0 |
| John Christopher Burton | Civil Rights Lawyer | Socialist Equality | 6,748 | 0 |
| David Laughing Horse Robinson | Tribal Chairman | Democratic | 6,496 | 0 |
| Leo Gallagher | Comedian | Independent | 5,466 | 0 |
| Cheryl Bly-Chester | Businesswoman/Environmental Engineer | Republican | 5,297 | 0 |
| Lawrence Steven Strauss | Lawyer/Businessperson/Student | Democratic | 5,245 | 0 |
| Ronald Jason Palmieri | Gay Rights Attorney | Democratic | 4,221 | 0 |
| Calvin Y. Louie | CPA | Democratic | 3,906 | 0 |
| Badi Badiozamani | Entrepreneur/Author/Executive | Independent | 3,404 | 0 |
| Audie E. Bock | Educator/Small Businesswoman | Democratic | 3,358 | 0 |
| Ralph A. Hernandez | District Attorney Inspector | Democratic | 3,199 | 0 |
| Edward Thomas Kennedy | Businessman/Educator | Democratic | 3,007 | 0 |
| Dan Feinstein | No Ballot Designation Requested | Democratic | 2,927 | 0 |
| Bob McClain | Civil Engineer | Independent | 2,857 | 0 |
| James Henry Green | Firefighter Paramedic/Nurse | Democratic | 2,848 | 0 |
| Garrett Gruener | High-Tech Entrepreneur | Democratic | 2,562 | 0 |
| Angelyne | Entertainer | Independent | 2,536 | 0 |
| Paul Mariano | Attorney | Democratic | 2,455 | 0 |
| Ivan Alexander Hall III | Custom Denture Manufacturer | Green | 2,346 | 0 |
| Jim Weir | Community College Teacher | Democratic | 2,328 | 0 |
| Jerome Kunzman | Chief Executive Officer | Independent | 2,317 | 0 |
| Ned Fenton Roscoe | Cigarette Retailer | Libertarian | 2,250 | 0 |
| Georgina Russell | Software Engineer | Democratic | 2,216 | 0 |
| Jonathan D. Miller | Small Business Owner | Democratic | 2,214 | 0 |
| Jack Loyd Grisham | Musician/Laborer | Independent | 2,200 | 0 |
| Christopher Sproul | Environmental Attorney | Democratic | 2,039 | 0 |
| Daniel T. Watts | College Student | Green | 2,021 | 0 |
| Ken Hamidi | State Tax Officer | Libertarian | 1,948 | 0 |
| Marc Valdez | Air Pollution Scientist | Democratic | 1,840 | 0 |
| Frank A. Macaluso, Jr. | Physician/Medical Doctor | Democratic | 1,801 | 0 |
| Daniel C. Ramirez | Businessman/Entrepreneur/Father | Democratic | 1,778 | 0 |
| Randall D. Sprague | Discrimination Complaint Investigator | Republican | 1,771 | 0 |
| Brooke Adams | Business Executive | Independent | 1,713 | 0 |
| Mohammad Arif | Businessman | Independent | 1,709 | 0 |
| Nathan Whitecloud Walton | Student | Independent | 1,697 | 0 |
| John J. "Jack" Hickey | Healthcare District Director | Libertarian | 1,689 | 0 |
| Mike Schmier | Attorney | Democratic | 1,652 | 0 |
| C.T. Weber | Labor Official/Analyst | Peace and Freedom | 1,626 | 0 |
| Diana Foss | No Ballot Designation Requested | Democratic | 1,577 | 0 |
| Michael J. Wozniak | Retired Police Officer | Democratic | 1,562 | 0 |
| B.E. Smith | Lecturer | Independent | 1,545 | 0 |
| Lingel H. Winters | Consumer Business Attorney | Democratic | 1,466 | 0 |
| Richard J. Simmons | Attorney/Businessperson | Independent | 1,422 | 0 |
| Joe Guzzardi | Teacher/Journalist | Democratic | 1,419 | 0 |
| Mike P. McCarthy | Used Car Dealer | Independent | 1,351 | 0 |
| Art Brown | Film Writer/Director | Democratic | 1,344 | 0 |
| Leonard Padilla | Law School President | Independent | 1,343 | 0 |
| Iris Adam | Business Analyst | Natural Law | 1,297 | 0 |
| Maurice J. Walker | Real Estate Appraiser | Green | 1,236 | 0 |
| Trek Thunder Kelly | Business Executive/Artist | Independent | 1,210 | 0 |
| Vikramjit S. Bajwa | Businessman/Father/Entrepreneur | Democratic | 1,168 | 0 |
| David Ronald Sams | Businessman/Producer/Writer | Republican | 1,166 | 0 |
| Darin Price | University Chemistry Instructor | Natural Law | 1,152 | 0 |
| Charles "Chuck" Pineda Jr. | State Hearing Officer | American Independent | 1,104 | 0 |
| John "Jack" Mortensen | Contractor/Businessman | Democratic | 1,078 | 0 |
| Sara Ann Hanlon | Businesswoman | Independent | 1,077 | 0 |
| Diane Beall Templin | Attorney/Realtor/Businesswoman | American Independent | 1,067 | 0 |
| Dick Lane | Educator | Democratic | 1,065 | 0 |
| Jim Hoffmann | Teacher | Republican | 1,046 | 0 |
| William B. Vaughn | Structural Engineer | Democratic | 1,028 | 0 |
| C. Stephen Henderson | Teacher | Independent | 989 | 0 |
| Robert C. Newman II | Psychologist/Farmer | Republican | 987 | 0 |
| Jamie Rosemary Safford | Business Owner | Republican | 943 | 0 |
| Robert C. Mannheim | Retired Businessperson | Democratic | 914 | 0 |
| Dorene Musilli | Parent/Educator/Businesswoman | Republican | 907 | 0 |
| Scott A. Mednick | Business Executive | Democratic | 903 | 0 |
| A. Lavar Taylor | Tax Attorney | Democratic | 851 | 0 |
| Brian Tracy | Businessman/Consultant | Independent | 842 | 0 |
| Kurt E. "Tachikaze" Rightmyer | Middleweight Sumo Wrestler | Independent | 837 | 0 |
| Christopher Ranken | Planning Commissioner | Democratic | 823 | 0 |
| Sharon Rushford | Businesswoman | Independent | 821 | 0 |
| Darrin H. Scheidle | Businessman/Entrepreneur | Democratic | 814 | 0 |
| Patricia G. Tilley | Attorney | Independent | 792 | 0 |
| Darryl L. Mobley | Businessman/Entrepreneur | Independent | 778 | 0 |
| Alex-St. James | Public Policy Strategist | Republican | 771 | 0 |
| Bob Lynn Edwards | Attorney | Democratic | 758 | 0 |
| Douglas Anderson | Mortgage Broker | Republican | 754 | 0 |
| Joel Britton | Retired Meatpacker | Socialist Workers | 751 | 0 |
| Michael Jackson | Satellite Project Manager | Republican | 746 | 0 |
| Ed Beyer | Chief Operations Officer | Republican | 727 | 0 |
| Paul "Chip" Mailander | Golf Professional | Democratic | 715 | 0 |
| John W. Beard | Businessman | Republican | 699 | 0 |
| Paul James Nave | Businessman/Prizefighter/Father | Democratic | 679 | 0 |
| Robert Cullenbine | Retired Businessman | Democratic | 632 | 0 |
| Warren Farrell | Fathers' Issues Author | Democratic | 626 | 0 |
| Chuck Walker | Business Intelligence Analyst | Republican | 623 | 0 |
| William S. Chambers | Railroad Switchman/Brakeman | Republican | 610 | 0 |
| Vip Bhola | Attorney/Businessowner | Republican | 607 | 0 |
| Gerold Lee Gorman | Engineer | Democratic | 598 | 0 |
| Dennis Duggan McMahon | Banker | Republican | 591 | 0 |
| James M. Vandeventer, Jr. | Salesman/Businessman | Republican | 588 | 0 |
| Eric Korevaar | Scientist/Businessman | Democratic | 586 | 0 |
| Kelly P. Kimball | Business Executive | Democratic | 582 | 0 |
| Mike McNeilly | Artist | Republican | 581 | 0 |
| S. Issa | Engineer | Republican | 554 | 0 |
| Gino Martorana | Restaurant Owner | Republican | 532 | 0 |
| Richard Andrew Gosse | Educator | Republican | 497 | 0 |
| Tim Sylvester | Entrepreneur | Democratic | 489 | 0 |
| Bill Prady | Television Writer/Producer | Democratic | 474 | 0 |
| Bryan Quinn | Businessman | Republican | 474 | 0 |
| Jeffrey L. Mock | Business Owner | Republican | 455 | 0 |
| Paul W. Vann | Financial Planner | Republican | 452 | 0 |
| Michael Cheli | Businessman | Independent | 451 | 0 |
| Heather Peters | Mediator | Republican | 444 | 0 |
| Jeff Rainforth | Marketing Coodinator | Independent | 425 | 0 |
| Ronald J. Friedman | Physician | Independent | 419 | 0 |
| Todd Carson | Real Estate Developer | Republican | 386 | 0 |
| Scott W. Davis | Business Owner | Independent | 384 | 0 |
| Daniel W. Richards | Businessman | Republican | 383 | 0 |
| Carl A. Mehr | Businessman | Republican | 376 | 0 |
| Lorraine Fontanes | Film Maker | Democratic | 365 | 0 |
| Gary Leonard | Photojournalist/Author | Democratic | 359 | 0 |
| Gregory J. Pawlik | Realtor/Businessman | Republican | 349 | 0 |
| Jon William Zellhoefer | Energy Consultant/Entrepreneur | Republican | 346 | 0 |
| Reva Renee Renz | Small Business Owner | Republican | 333 | 0 |
| Kevin Richter | Information Technology Manager | Republican | 305 | 0 |
| Stephen L. Knapp | Engineer | Republican | 298 | 0 |
| William James Tsangares | Businessperson | Republican | 281 | 0 |
| D. (Logan Darrow) Clements | Businessman | Republican | 274 | 0 |
| Robert A. "Butch" Dole | Small Business Owner | Republican | 273 | 0 |
| David E. Kessinger | Paralegal/Property Manager | Democratic | 261 | 0 |
| Gene Forte | Executive Recruiter/Entrepreneur | Republican | 235 | 0 |
| Todd Richard Lewis | Businessman | Independent | 192 | 0 |
| Mathilda Karel Spak (write-in) | Independent | 16 | 0 | |
| Jason Alan Gastrich (write-in) | Republican | 11 | 0 | |
| Monty Manibog (write-in) | Democratic | 11 | 0 | |
| Thomas "Tom" Benigno (write-in) | Independent | 7 | 0 | |
| R. Charlie Chadwick (write-in) | Independent | 7 | 0 | |
| Shirley Coly (write-in) | Independent | 5 | 0 | |
| Jane H. Dawson (write-in) | Democratic | 5 | 0 | |
| Pauline Cooper (write-in) | Democratic | 4 | 0 | |
| Paul Walton (write-in) | Independent | 4 | 0 | |
| Jim "Poorman" Trenton (write-in) | Republican | 3 | 0 | |
| Wignes K. Warren (write-in) | Democratic | 3 | 0 | |
| Christy Cassel (write-in) | Independent | 2 | 0 | |
| Jacques Andre Istel (write-in) | Republican | 2 | 0 | |
| Christian F. Meister (write-in) | Democratic | 2 | 0 | |
| Vincent Pallaver (write-in) | Independent | 2 | 0 | |
| Lincoln Pickard (write-in) | Democratic | 2 | 0 | |
| Lynda L. Toth (write-in) | Democratic | 2 | 0 | |
| Donald P. Wang (write-in) | Republican | 2 | 0 | |
| Robert D. Gibb (write-in) | Democratic | 1 | 0 | |
| Ronald W. Spangler (write-in) | Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Bill Thill (write-in) | Democratic | 1 | 0 | |
| Jurlene Jeanne Kokoa White (write-in) | Democratic | 1 | 0 | |
| Joel Wirth (write-in) | Republican | 1 | 0 | |
| Votes Not Cast | 755,575 | 8.0% of ballots | ||