Just 41 candidates filed by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline to run to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Sept. 14 recall 鈥� a field that includes GOP politicians, a reality TV personality, a YouTuber, a retired detective, a cannabis advocate, several business owners and even a new-age shaman.
What it doesn鈥檛 include: Anyone with the star power that actor and body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger enjoyed when he disrupted the political scene in 2003 and ousted then-Gov. Gray Davis. It also doesn鈥檛 include any prominent Democrats who might be seen as a viable alternative to Newsom by California鈥檚 overwhelmingly blue electorate.
That鈥檚 good news for Newsom as he fights to keep his job, said the man who managed Davis鈥� unsuccessful campaign against the 2003 recall.
鈥淭he biggest problem was Arnold getting in and galvanizing the recall vote. And the second biggest problem was (Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz) Bustamante getting in,鈥� said Democratic consultant Garry South.
鈥淚n this current field, there is nobody who can have that kind of impact.鈥�
But a lot will hinge on how many Californians decide to vote. Polls show that . Even though, overall, Democrats outnumber Republicans by 22 percentage points in California, Newsom could be damaged by strong turnout among GOP voters and weak turnout among Democrats.
鈥淎 sleepy race can pose its own challenges for Newsom,鈥� said Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant who worked on Schwarzenegger鈥檚 campaign. 鈥淚f there is a lack of intensity among Democrats, something weird could happen.鈥�
Newsom enjoys a over his challengers and has already raised $31 million to fight the recall. State law allows the target of a recall to accept unlimited sums of money 鈥� and his campaign committee has already received several donations of $1 million or more. Challengers can only accept as much as $32,400 from each single donor.
But a recent spike in COVID cases and new mask mandates in some parts of California create uncertainty that could change the political landscape.
The recall ballot includes two questions. The first requires a yes or no answer: Do you want to recall Newsom? On the second question, voters can pick one candidate to replace him. Unless a majority votes 鈥測es鈥� on the first, the second doesn鈥檛 matter, except perhaps to show who has the most support heading into the 2022 regular election for governor.
鈥淎cross our state, Democrats are united against this Republican recall,鈥� said Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom鈥檚 anti-recall campaign. 鈥淭hey understand this recall is nothing more than a partisan power grab.鈥�
The most well-known challengers include Republicans Caitlyn Jenner, a transgender reality TV personality and former Olympic athlete; John Cox, a businessman who lost to Newsom in 2018; and Kevin Faulconer, the former mayor of San Diego.
鈥淲e have the broad brush that this election deserves,鈥� said Anne Dunsmore, a manager for the recall campaign.
She said she is happy with the field of candidates, 鈥渟ome who have a background in politics and some who don鈥檛, but who have remarkable followings in the endeavors they are involved in.鈥�
Dunsmore said she believes that having lots of candidates in the race 鈥� even if none are likely to consolidate a huge number of votes 鈥� will help the effort to oust Newsom by bringing in more people to vote 鈥測es鈥� on the question of whether to recall him.
The 41-person field is actually much smaller than it was in 2003, when 135 candidates ran to replace Davis.
This year, candidates had to comply with a new requirement: that will be . Several people who flirted with running 鈥� including , conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, California and adult film performer Mary Carey 鈥� did not, in the end, submit the required paperwork.
Tonight, the secretary of state鈥檚 office who have 鈥渇ulfilled the qualifications and requirements to appear on the ballot.鈥� It plans to issue a certified list, with final ballot designations, on Wednesday.
Here鈥檚 a look at who will be on the ballot in California鈥檚 historic recall election:
Politicians
, 54, is the Republican former mayor of mostly Democratic San Diego. He supported immigration reform, believed in climate change and distanced himself from former President Donald Trump, until voting for him in 2020.
Faulconer has raised $924,000.
Ted Gaines, 63, of Shingle Springs, is a Republican former state senator and Assemblymember who is now on the California State Board of Equalization, which oversees taxes and fee collection.
Gaines has raised $32,000.
Jeff Hewitt has been a Riverside County supervisor since 2018. Before that, the 68-year-old hero to Libertarians nationwide was mayor of Calimesa after serving as a City Council member.
Hewitt has raised $46,000.
is a Republican assemblymember from Rocklin. The 36-year-old former deputy attorney general and former teacher made headlines by suing Newsom over pandemic executive orders.
Kiley has raised $130,000.
Doug Ose, a 66-year old Republican, is a former Sacramento-area U.S. representative whose .
Ose has raised $158,000.
Media Celebrities
Angelyne is a 鈥溾�榖illboard icon鈥� of Los Angeles, spotted around Southern California in her signature pink Corvette. Now 70, she has , and to AngelLyne Lynne. She is running without a party preference.
, 71, a Republican, first came to prominence as an Olympic gold medalist in 1976. She was once married to Kris Jenner 鈥� mother of the Kardashian sisters, the reality TV stars 鈥� before becoming one of the most prominent public figures to transition.
Jenner has raised $356,000.
Kevin Paffrath is a real estate broker and investor from Ventura. The 29-year-old Democrat has 1.7 million subscribers to his YouTube channel on the housing market, real estate and the stock market.
Paffrath has raised $124,000.
Self Funders
John Cox, 66, is from the San Diego area who has run for U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate and the presidency as a Republican and who lost to Newsom in 2018. This time, he鈥檚 campaigning with a live bear and a ball of trash. He has already put in $5 million from his own wallet.
Cox has raised $5.2 million.
Jenny Rae Le Roux, 40, is a business owner from Redding and former Bain consultant who describes herself as a 鈥楻epublican, pro-business fiscal conservative.鈥� Le Roux has contributed $100,000 to her campaign.
Le Roux has raised $149,000.
Anthony D. Trimino, from Ladera Ranch, is the owner of a marketing and advertising agency. The 45-year old Republican has put $50,000 into his campaign.
Leo S. Zacky, 29, of Los Angeles, was the vice president of Zacky Farms, a family-owned poultry business that closed in 2018. The Republican loaned his campaign $25,000.
Conservative Activists
Chauncey S. 鈥淪lim鈥� Killens, a 63-year-old associate pastor from Hemet, is running as a Republican. Killens, a Trump supporter, attended the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, but spoke against the violence.
Sarah L. Stephens, 39, is a pastor from Riverside County running as a Republican. She has helped organize events such as the 鈥淩edeeming America鈥� tour, seeking to unite businesses to reopen during the pandemic.
Nickolas Wildstar, 39, of Fresno, is a Libertarian activist running as a Republican. A digital marketer and a rapper, Wildstar ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018 and city council and mayor in Orange County, where he recently lived.
Liberal Activists
Michael A. Loebs, a 39-year-old lecturer in political science at San Francisco State University, is running with no party preference. He is an organizer with the California National Party, which advocates for secession from the U.S. and .
Joel A. Ventresca, 69, of San Francisco, served as city treasurer and lost a bid for mayor in 2019. Ventresca, a Democrat, is on the executive committee of the Services Employees International Union.
Regular Joes and Jills
Holly L. Baade, 48, is a spiritual teacher and coach. A Democrat who lives in Fairfax, Baade is also a former journalist.
David A. Bramante is a realtor and housing developer from Calabasas. The 39-year-old Republican hosts a podcast on artificial intelligence.
Heather WJ Collins, 61, is a Playa Del Rey resident and hairstylist running with the Green Party.
John R. Drake from Ventura, is running as a 鈥減rogressive Democrat.鈥� At 20, he is the youngest candidate to file a statement of intention to run.
Sam L. Gallucci, 62, of Oxnard, is a software developer and pastor. The Republican candidate founded ministries to help at-risk women and children, as well as migrant field workers.
James G. Hanink, 75, of Inglewood, was a philosophy professor at Loyola Marymount University and is a member of the American Solidarity Party, which 鈥嬧�媠eeks to .
David Hillberg, 61, is an aircraft mechanic and actor from Fountain Valley. He is running as a Republican.
Daniel I. Kapelovitz is a 50-year-old criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles and a Green Party candidate.
Patrick Kilpatrick is an actor, screenwriter and producer from Los Angeles. He is running as a Democrat.
Steve Chavez Lodge, 63, is a former police detective and police commissioner who owns a safety consulting firm. A Republican who lives in Trabuco Canyon, he is engaged to 鈥淩eal Housewives of Orange County鈥� star Vicki Gunvalson.
David Lozano, a San Gabriel Republican, is a former deputy sheriff and an attorney who lost a bid for Congress in 2020.
Denis P. Lucey, is a 61-year-old teacher from Santa Rosa running with no party preference.
Jeremiah E. Marciniak of Lincoln, owns a rental and car sales business and is running without a party preference.
Jeremiah E. Marciniak of Lincoln, owns a rental and car sales business and is running without a party preference.
Jacqueline McGowan, 47, of Napa, is a Democrat and a cannabis advocate who says Newsom has imposed too many regulations on legal marijuana. She says she鈥檚 running to 鈥渇acilitate a fair cannabis market.鈥�
Daniel R. Mercuri is co-CEO of an independent production company, co-partner of a private investment company and a Navy veteran. The 43-year-old Simi Valley Republican ran in a 2020 congressional special election.
David Moore, a 34-year-old public school teacher from Emeryville, is running with no party preference.
Robert C. Newman, 77, is a Redlands psychologist. A Republican, in 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2018.
Adam Papagan, 33, is based in Los Angeles, where he leads tours of celebrity homes. He is running without a party preference because he is .
Dennis Richter, of Los Angeles, works at Walmart and is the Socialist Workers Party candidate for governor. He also ran for Los Angeles mayor in 2017.
Brandon M. Ross, 49, is a Democrat from La Mesa. A doctor, he says he鈥檚 running to inspire drug addicts that they can turn their lives around 鈥� as he did after getting hooked on opiates and then recovering.
Major Singh, a software engineer, is running with no party preference.
Denver Stoner, a Murphys resident and a deputy sheriff, is running as a Republican.
Daniel Thomas Watts, 39, is a Democrat from Vista. A lawyer who specializes in First Amendment cases, he ran for governor in the 2003 recall when he was a college student.
CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.