Despite Schwarzenegger's win, Dems will steer state agenda

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By TOM CHORNEAU
Monday, November 13, 2006
In an election marked by Democratic victories across the country, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide re-election was the big exception, but his coattails were not long enough to erode the power hold that Democrats have in Sacramento.

Republican candidates were thought to have solid chances of picking up a few statewide constitutional offices, but Democrats maintained their grip on six of the eight constitutional seats and continue their firm control of both houses of the Legislature. The result, combined with the born-again bipartisanship that led Schwarzenegger to his lopsided victory, leaves Democrats very much in charge of the political agenda in California for years to come.

"The bottom line is that this is a very blue state," said Democratic strategist Roger Salazar. "It was something that the governor recognized early on in his campaign when he decided to run as a Democrat.

"All the way down the line, folks were looking for the Democratic message, and you can see that by the results," he said.

In addition to taking over the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Democrats also now control the legislatures in more states than they have since 1994, according to a survey from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Further, Democrats now control 28 governor's offices to 22 for the GOP _ a complete reversal from last year, according to the National Governors Association.

Schwarzenegger's 17 percentage point victory over Democrat Phil Angelides was one of the few bright spots for Republicans.

Until late ballots were counted from several urban areas, including Los Angeles County, it appeared that Republicans had a good chance of winning several other statewide races: Tom McClintock for lieutenant governor; Bruce McPherson for secretary of state; and Steve Poizner for insurance commissioner.

As it turned out, only Poizner won.

"Unlike other folks, I wasn't as concerned about the governor's coattails," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.

Nunez pointed out that two years ago, when Schwarzenegger was even more popular, he campaigned for a number of GOP candidates and none of them won.

Nunez said the big problem facing Democratic candidates this year was getting heard in an election dominated by expensive ballot measures. "Prop. 87 dominated the airways," he said of the unsuccessful initiative aimed at taxing oil production for alternative fuels.

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said it would be a mistake for Democrats in California to think voters were giving them a mandate.

"I think the election results had more to do with the mood of this country than anything _ you could just feel the anger and frustration," he said. "We (Democrats) have to be careful of not misinterpreting what that meant."

The governor has already pledged to continue his bipartisan efforts into his next term. Both Nunez and Perata said Wednesday that they, too, will be looking to build on the success that cooperation with Schwarzenegger generated last year.

After getting badly rebuked by voters in last year's special election, Schwarzenegger embraced Democratic ideas and moved back to the political center. The governor was criticized during the campaign by some skeptics who said he made the move only to win re-election and would once again embark on a conservative mission after the election.

But Nunez said he is convinced that Schwarzenegger has become a true supporter of Democratic goals.

"We certainly cannot apologize for the progress that was made, because it was all on our terms," he said. "I think we did a good job in California of turning a Republican governor into a Democratic spokesperson."