This is the 2003 race. The latest: 2026 →

2003Flipped from DemocraticFinal resultsSpecial election

2003 special election for California Governor

Governor · California

Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) won with 48.6% of the vote, defeating Cruz Bustamante (D) by 17.1 points, a seat Democrats won last time.

Arnold SchwarzeneggerRepublican · winner
48.6%4,206,284
31.5%2,724,874
Tom McClintockRepublican
13.4%1,161,287
2.8%242,247
0.5%47,505
Peter UeberrothRepublican
0.3%25,134
Larry FlyntDemocrat
0.2%17,458
Gary ColemanIndependent
0.2%14,242
0.1%12,382
Mary CareyIndependent
0.1%11,179
0.1%9,188
Bill SimonRepublican
0.1%8,913
Van VoRepublican
0.1%7,226
0.1%6,748
Leo GallagherIndependent
0.1%5,466
0.1%5,297
0.1%5,245
0.0%4,221
Calvin LouieDemocrat
0.0%3,906
Badi BadiozamaniIndependent
0.0%3,404
Audie BockDemocrat
0.0%3,358
0.0%3,199
0.0%3,007
0.0%2,927
Bob McClainIndependent
0.0%2,857
James GreenDemocrat
0.0%2,848
0.0%2,562
AngelyneIndependent
0.0%2,536
Paul MarianoDemocrat
0.0%2,455
0.0%2,346
Jim WeirDemocrat
0.0%2,328
Jerome KunzmanIndependent
0.0%2,317
Ned RoscoeLibertarian
0.0%2,250
0.0%2,216
0.0%2,214
Jack GrishamIndependent
0.0%2,200
0.0%2,039
0.0%2,021
Ken HamidiLibertarian
0.0%1,948
Marc ValdezDemocrat
0.0%1,840
0.0%1,801
0.0%1,778
Randall SpragueRepublican
0.0%1,771
Brooke AdamsIndependent
0.0%1,713
Mohammad ArifIndependent
0.0%1,709
Nathan WaltonIndependent
0.0%1,697
John HickeyLibertarian
0.0%1,689
Mike SchmierDemocrat
0.0%1,652
C.t. WeberPeace and Freedom
0.0%1,626
Diana FossDemocrat
0.0%1,577
0.0%1,562
B.e. SmithIndependent
0.0%1,545
0.0%1,466
Richard SimmonsIndependent
0.0%1,422
Joe GuzzardiDemocrat
0.0%1,419
Mike McCarthyIndependent
0.0%1,351
Art BrownDemocrat
0.0%1,344
Leonard PadillaIndependent
0.0%1,343
Iris AdamNo Labels
0.0%1,297
0.0%1,236
Trek KellyIndependent
0.0%1,210
0.0%1,168
David SamsRepublican
0.0%1,166
Darin PriceNo Labels
0.0%1,152
Charles PinedaIndependent
0.0%1,104
0.0%1,078
Sara HanlonIndependent
0.0%1,077
Diane TemplinIndependent
0.0%1,067
Dick LaneDemocrat
0.0%1,065
Jim HoffmannRepublican
0.0%1,046
0.0%1,028
0.0%989
Robert NewmanRepublican
0.0%987
Jamie SaffordRepublican
0.0%943
0.0%914
Dorene MusilliRepublican
0.0%907
0.0%903
0.0%851
Brian TracyIndependent
0.0%842
Kurt RightmyerIndependent
0.0%837
0.0%823
Sharon RushfordIndependent
0.0%821
0.0%814
Patricia TilleyIndependent
0.0%792
Darryl MobleyIndependent
0.0%778
Alex-St. JamesRepublican
0.0%771
Bob EdwardsDemocrat
0.0%758
0.0%754
Joel BrittonIndependent
0.0%751
Michael JacksonRepublican
0.0%746
Ed BeyerRepublican
0.0%727
0.0%715
John BeardRepublican
0.0%699
Paul NaveDemocrat
0.0%679
0.0%632
0.0%626
Chuck WalkerRepublican
0.0%623
0.0%610
Vip BholaRepublican
0.0%607
0.0%598
Dennis McMahonRepublican
0.0%591
0.0%588
0.0%586
0.0%582
Mike McNeillyRepublican
0.0%581
S. IssaRepublican
0.0%554
Gino MartoranaRepublican
0.0%532
Richard GosseRepublican
0.0%497
0.0%489
Bill PradyDemocrat
0.0%474
Bryan QuinnRepublican
0.0%474
Jeffrey MockRepublican
0.0%455
Paul VannRepublican
0.0%452
Michael CheliIndependent
0.0%451
Heather PetersRepublican
0.0%444
Jeff RainforthIndependent
0.0%425
Ronald FriedmanIndependent
0.0%419
Todd CarsonRepublican
0.0%386
Scott DavisIndependent
0.0%384
Daniel RichardsRepublican
0.0%383
Carl MehrRepublican
0.0%376
0.0%365
Gary LeonardDemocrat
0.0%359
Gregory PawlikRepublican
0.0%349
Jon ZellhoeferRepublican
0.0%346
Reva RenzRepublican
0.0%333
Kevin RichterRepublican
0.0%305
Stephen KnappRepublican
0.0%298
0.0%281
Logan ClementsRepublican
0.0%274
Robert DoleRepublican
0.0%273
0.0%261
Gene ForteRepublican
0.0%235
Todd LewisIndependent
0.0%192
Mathilda SpakIndependent
0.0%16
Jason GastrichRepublican
0.0%11
0.0%11
Thomas BenignoIndependent
0.0%7
0.0%7
Shirley ColyIndependent
0.0%5
Jane DawsonDemocrat
0.0%5
0.0%4
Paul WaltonIndependent
0.0%4
Jim TrentonRepublican
0.0%3
0.0%3
Christy CasselIndependent
0.0%2
0.0%2
0.0%2
Vincent PallaverIndependent
0.0%2
0.0%2
Lynda TothDemocrat
0.0%2
Donald WangRepublican
0.0%2
Robert GibbDemocrat
0.0%1
Ronald SpanglerIndependent
0.0%1
Kyle ConoverIndependent
0.0%1
Bill ThillDemocrat
0.0%1
0.0%1
Joel WirthRepublican
0.0%1
8,657,916 votes

Source: English WikipediaUpdated Oct 5, 2026, 4:05 AM ET

The seat over time

D − R margin in this seat's races around 2003

Races before and after

EvenR+15.21994D+20.31998D+4.92002R+30.12003 special electionR+17.02006D+12.92010

Source: English WikipediaUpdated Oct 5, 2026, 4:05 AM ET

The candidates

Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)Cruz Bustamante (D)Tom McClintock (R)

Also on the ballot: Peter Miguel Camejo (Green), 2.8%; Arianna Huffington (Independent), 0.5%; Peter Ueberroth (Republican), 0.3%; Larry Flynt (Democrat), 0.2%; Gary Coleman (Independent), 0.2%; George B. Schwartzman (Independent), 0.1%; Mary Carey (Independent), 0.1%; Bruce Margolin (Democrat), 0.1%; Bill Simon (Republican), 0.1%; Van Vo (Republican), 0.1%; John Christopher Burton (Independent), 0.1%; David Laughing Horse Robinson (Democrat), 0.1%; Leo Gallagher (Independent), 0.1%; Cheryl Bly-Chester (Republican), 0.1%; Lawrence Strauss (Democrat), 0.1%; Ronald Palmieri (Democrat), 0.0%; Calvin Louie (Democrat), 0.0%; Badi Badiozamani (Independent), 0.0%; Audie Bock (Democrat), 0.0%; Ralph Hernandez (Democrat), 0.0%; Edward Kennedy (Democrat), 0.0%; Dan Feinstein (Democrat), 0.0%; Bob McClain (Independent), 0.0%; James Green (Democrat), 0.0%; Garrett Gruener (Democrat), 0.0%; Angelyne (Independent), 0.0%; Paul Mariano (Democrat), 0.0%; Ivan Hall (Green), 0.0%; Jim Weir (Democrat), 0.0%; Jerome Kunzman (Independent), 0.0%; Ned Roscoe (Libertarian), 0.0%; Georgina Russell (Democrat), 0.0%; Jonathan Miller (Democrat), 0.0%; Jack Grisham (Independent), 0.0%; Christopher Sproul (Democrat), 0.0%; Daniel Watts (Green), 0.0%; Ken Hamidi (Libertarian), 0.0%; Marc Valdez (Democrat), 0.0%; Frank Macaluso (Democrat), 0.0%; Daniel Ramirez (Democrat), 0.0%; Randall Sprague (Republican), 0.0%; Brooke Adams (Independent), 0.0%; Mohammad Arif (Independent), 0.0%; Nathan Walton (Independent), 0.0%; John Hickey (Libertarian), 0.0%; Mike Schmier (Democrat), 0.0%; C.t. Weber (Peace and Freedom), 0.0%; Diana Foss (Democrat), 0.0%; Michael Wozniak (Democrat), 0.0%; B.e. Smith (Independent), 0.0%; Lingel Winters (Democrat), 0.0%; Richard Simmons (Independent), 0.0%; Joe Guzzardi (Democrat), 0.0%; Mike McCarthy (Independent), 0.0%; Art Brown (Democrat), 0.0%; Leonard Padilla (Independent), 0.0%; Iris Adam (No Labels), 0.0%; Maurice Walker (Green), 0.0%; Trek Kelly (Independent), 0.0%; Vikramjit Bajwa (Democrat), 0.0%; David Sams (Republican), 0.0%; Darin Price (No Labels), 0.0%; Charles Pineda (Independent), 0.0%; John Mortensen (Democrat), 0.0%; Sara Hanlon (Independent), 0.0%; Diane Templin (Independent), 0.0%; Dick Lane (Democrat), 0.0%; Jim Hoffmann (Republican), 0.0%; William Vaughn (Democrat), 0.0%; C. Stephen Henderson (Independent), 0.0%; Robert Newman (Republican), 0.0%; Jamie Safford (Republican), 0.0%; Robert Mannheim (Democrat), 0.0%; Dorene Musilli (Republican), 0.0%; Scott Mednick (Democrat), 0.0%; A. Lavar Taylor (Democrat), 0.0%; Brian Tracy (Independent), 0.0%; Kurt Rightmyer (Independent), 0.0%; Christopher Ranken (Democrat), 0.0%; Sharon Rushford (Independent), 0.0%; Darrin Scheidle (Democrat), 0.0%; Patricia Tilley (Independent), 0.0%; Darryl Mobley (Independent), 0.0%; Alex-St. James (Republican), 0.0%; Bob Edwards (Democrat), 0.0%; Douglas Anderson (Republican), 0.0%; Joel Britton (Independent), 0.0%; Michael Jackson (Republican), 0.0%; Ed Beyer (Republican), 0.0%; Paul Mailander (Democrat), 0.0%; John Beard (Republican), 0.0%; Paul Nave (Democrat), 0.0%; Robert Cullenbine (Democrat), 0.0%; Warren Farrell (Democrat), 0.0%; Chuck Walker (Republican), 0.0%; William Chambers (Republican), 0.0%; Vip Bhola (Republican), 0.0%; Gerold Lee Gorman (Democrat), 0.0%; Dennis McMahon (Republican), 0.0%; James Vandeventer (Republican), 0.0%; Eric Korevaar (Democrat), 0.0%; Kelly Kimball (Democrat), 0.0%; Mike McNeilly (Republican), 0.0%; S. Issa (Republican), 0.0%; Gino Martorana (Republican), 0.0%; Richard Gosse (Republican), 0.0%; Tim Sylvester (Democrat), 0.0%; Bill Prady (Democrat), 0.0%; Bryan Quinn (Republican), 0.0%; Jeffrey Mock (Republican), 0.0%; Paul Vann (Republican), 0.0%; Michael Cheli (Independent), 0.0%; Heather Peters (Republican), 0.0%; Jeff Rainforth (Independent), 0.0%; Ronald Friedman (Independent), 0.0%; Todd Carson (Republican), 0.0%; Scott Davis (Independent), 0.0%; Daniel Richards (Republican), 0.0%; Carl Mehr (Republican), 0.0%; Lorraine Fontanes (Democrat), 0.0%; Gary Leonard (Democrat), 0.0%; Gregory Pawlik (Republican), 0.0%; Jon Zellhoefer (Republican), 0.0%; Reva Renz (Republican), 0.0%; Kevin Richter (Republican), 0.0%; Stephen Knapp (Republican), 0.0%; William Tsangares (Republican), 0.0%; Logan Clements (Republican), 0.0%; Robert Dole (Republican), 0.0%; David Kessinger (Democrat), 0.0%; Gene Forte (Republican), 0.0%; Todd Lewis (Independent), 0.0%; Mathilda Spak (Independent), 0.0%; Jason Gastrich (Republican), 0.0%; Monty Manibog (Democrat), 0.0%; Thomas Benigno (Independent), 0.0%; R. Charlie Chadwick (Independent), 0.0%; Shirley Coly (Independent), 0.0%; Jane Dawson (Democrat), 0.0%; Pauline Cooper (Democrat), 0.0%; Paul Walton (Independent), 0.0%; Jim Trenton (Republican), 0.0%; Wignes Warren (Democrat), 0.0%; Christy Cassel (Independent), 0.0%; Jacques-André Istel (Republican), 0.0%; Christian Meister (Democrat), 0.0%; Vincent Pallaver (Independent), 0.0%; Lincoln Pickard (Democrat), 0.0%; Lynda Toth (Democrat), 0.0%; Donald Wang (Republican), 0.0%; Robert Gibb (Democrat), 0.0%; Ronald Spangler (Independent), 0.0%; Kyle Conover (Independent), 0.0%; Bill Thill (Democrat), 0.0%; Jurlene White (Democrat), 0.0%; Joel Wirth (Republican), 0.0%