Davis Out, Schwarzenegger in as California Governor

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 8, 2003   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Davis Out, Schwarzenegger in as California Governor

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 8, 2003

Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) — California voters, by a landslide margin, approved of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the next governor and ousted pro-abortion Gov. Gray Davis.

Schwarzenegger supports legal abortion, but also backs pro-life measures such as a ban on partial-birth abortion and support for parental notification. Davis was viewed by pro-life groups as one of the most pro-abortion governors in the state’s history.

Partial returns showed the recall favored by 1,619,089 voters, or 54.8 percent, and opposed by 1,337,092, or 45.2 percent.

Other returns had Schwarzenegger ahead with 1,298,502 votes (50.3%); pro-abortion Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante with 789,902 (30.6); and pro-life Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock with 331,648 (12.9%).

California pro-life advocates backed McClintock, but hope Schwarzenegger will at least be receptive to pro-life legislation if any ever gets passed the pro-abortion state legislature.

Pro-life groups also hope Schwarzenegger will be able to help President George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential elections. The state has voted for the pro-abortion candidate for president in the last several elections and, if it went for Bush in 2004, it would virtually guarantee him a return trip to the White House.

"This is a great day for California. … In response to a common danger, the people of California rose to their duties and ordered a new direction for our state,” McClintock said in conceding.