Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday announced he intends to run for re-election next November.
Schwarzenegger, whose popularity has fallen sharply this year as he has come under attack from Democrats and union allies for his support of initiatives to reform state government, made the announcement at a forum in San Diego to promote the three initiatives he’s backing on the Nov. 8 special election ballot.
Schwarzenegger had been under growing pressure from Republican and business allies to declare his intentions who wanted reassurance that he would follow through on his reform proposals. The announcement was also intended to bolster the lagging special election campaign, which has come under attack in a series of hard-hitting ads from opponents.
Two statewide elected Democrat officials are looking to challenge Schwarzenegger: state Treasurer Phil Angelides and state Controller Steve Westly. They and any other Democrat gubernatorial candidates that emerge will face off in the June primary.
A Field Poll released last week found that just 36 percent of California voters said they would re-elect Schwarzenegger, if the election were held today.
