Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced Gray Davis in a history-making gubernatorial recall but ended up being just as unpopular. There are roughly a dozen major candidates for California governor in 2026 and, taken together, they lack even a small fraction of Schwarzenegger’s celebrity wattage. Voices Barabak: She was highly qualified to be California governor. In California governor’s race, boring can be beautiful California may be home to Hollywood, but the state has a long history of electing non-celebrity, charisma-challenged governors. If the candidates for California governor fail to light up a room, that’s not such a bad thing.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 04, 2026 14:01 UTC