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SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Scores of Californians took the once-in-a-lifetime shot to run for governor Saturday in the state's unprecedented recall election as Democrats successfully whittled their own field to one major backup candidate in case Gov. Gray Davis is ousted.
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi dropped out two hours before the filing deadline, leaving Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as the only prominent Democrat on the ballot. That raised hopes of keeping the governor's office in party hands if the unpopular governor is voted out Oct. 7.
If voters turn Davis out of office, Bustamante will compete against a field that includes last year's gubernatorial runnerup, Bill Simon, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former baseball czar Peter Ueberroth - all Republicans - and columnist Arianna Huffington, an independent.
The field of more than 125 candidates also includes former child actor Gary Coleman, comedian Gallagher, porn czar Larry Flynt and Angelyne, a buxom artist whose likeness appears on billboards around Los Angeles.
Despite the onslaught of wannabes aiming to run the nation's most populous state, Davis remained confident Saturday.
"Many people are trying to become the governor. I am the governor," Davis said to laughter after a bill signing at a health clinic in Santa Monica. "Whether the people of the state want me to stay 60 days or 31/2 years - as hopefully they will eventually decide - I am going to do my level best to improve their lives every day I have."
A new Time-CNN poll released Saturday, however, showed voters leaning toward recalling Davis.
Fifty-four percent said they would vote Davis out, while 35 percent were opposed. Of the better-known candidates, 25 percent chose Schwarzenegger, 15 percent chose Bustamante, while others were in single digits. The poll of 508 voters was conducted Friday and has an error margin of 4 percentage points.
Davis, who has seen his approval ratings plummet in recent months, is the first governor of the Golden State to face a recall.
The final casting call for the nation's political blockbuster unfolded Saturday, as a fraction of the nearly 500 people who took out applications to run turned in their necessary papers to get on the burgeoning ballot.
By day's end, more than 125 people had filed to run, according to an Associated Press survey of counties. The official number of candidates who will appear on the ballot won't be until released until the secretary of state certifies the paperwork Wednesday.
To get on the ballot, candidates had to either pay a $3,500 filing fee and submit signatures of 65 registered voters or skip the fee and submit 10,000 voter signatures.
Schwarzenegger arrived at the Los Angeles County recorder's office with his wife, Maria Shriver, to the shrieks of gawkers. He vowed to be the people's governor as he signed autographs.
"I will be there for everybody, young and old, men and women alike. It doesn't make any difference," he said.
Schwarzenegger greeted Huffington, who arrived at the same time to file. She and Shriver hugged.
Huffington called for more fuel-efficient vehicles and noted that Schwarzenegger had arrived in an SUV while she arrived in a hybrid vehicle. There were a few boos and cries of "Arnold, Arnold."
Ueberroth, who also was chief organizer of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, said he could bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans. The Republican businessman said he would only serve the three years remaining on Davis' term, which is up in January 2007.
"We're not going to run any negative ads. We're not going to trash-talk the other candidates," Ueberroth's consultant, Dan Schnur, said after campaign papers were filed in Orange County.
The opportunity to become the state's chief executive had fired political aspirations in all corners of the state that had "only in California" written all over it.
Flynt entered, along with a bail bondsman, a discount cigarette chain owner, a medical marijuana activist, porn actor Mary Carey and Michael Wozniak, a retired Oakland police officer who says the centerpiece of his effort will be legalizing ownership of ferrets as pets.
Mathilda Karel Spak, 100, said her age shouldn't hamper her chances of winning the election.
"I've made plans until 105," the centenarian said. "Then I'll take things easy."