In the Running for California Governor

Reva Renee Renz

Age: 36

Party: Republican

Occupation: Cocktail lounge owner

Residence: Santa Ana

Family: Single

Education: Attended Cypress Community College.

Career highlights: Owner for five years of an Orange County lounge; stockbroker in mid-1990s, as well as an amateur bikini model.

Quote: “This is the first and probably the last time in my life that I’ll be able to run for office. I think we need an inexperienced and nonpolitician in office.”

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Kurt E. “Tachikaze” Rightmyer

Age: 39

Party: Nonpartisan

Occupation: Middleweight sumo wrestler (188-255 pounds)

Residence: West Covina

Family: Married, one child

Education: B.A. in English, 1996, UCLA.

Career highlights: Middleweight points leader, 2003 California Sumo Series; nominated in 2001 for a poetry Pushcart Prize, which honors literary work published in small magazines; taught English in Japan for two years with Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

Quote: “Sumo is a very quick, fast, brutal contest. It requires a great deal of concentration and a razor-sharp mind. It’s perfect training, because everything in this state is in turmoil, and it’s hard for people to get a grip on it.”

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David “Laughing Horse” Robinson

Age: 48

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Sculptor, art instructor, tribal chairman

Residence: Bakersfield

Family: Married, two children, two grandchildren

Education: Attending Cal State Bakersfield.

Career highlights: Elected chairman of Kawaiisu Tribe in 1997 and reelected in 2002; art technician at Cal State Bakersfield for five years.

Quote: “I saw our budget for the Cal State system and we’re going to get one-third of last year’s budget and they are raising tuition. That just made me sick. There is no excuse for the richest state in the country to be broke. I can straighten things out.”

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Mike Schmier

Age: 58

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Employment and labor relations lawyer

Residence: Emeryville

Family: Single

Education: Bachelor of business administration, 1965; MBA, 1966; law degree, 1969, all from University of Michigan.

Career highlights: Ran in Democratic primary for state attorney general, 2002 and 1998; ran in Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, 2000; board of directors, Committee for the Rule of Law, Emeryville-based group that advocates public access to court proceedings and decisions; deputy district attorney, Los Angeles, 1970; former federal labor prosecutor, National Labor Relations Board; administrative law judge, California Labor Relations Board; former trustee, Emery Unified School District; volunteer with San Francisco Jewish Vocational Services.

Quote: “When people have the basic things they need -- meaningful employment and affordable housing and quality education -- then we all benefit. Society is not healthy when we’re missing those things.”

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George B. Schwartzman

Age: 57

Party: Nonpartisan

Occupation: Owner of a medical services company that provides treatment for urological diseases.

Residence: San Diego

Family: Separated, two children

Education: B.S. in business administration, 1967, University of Kentucky.

Career highlights: Sales awards during time as medical equipment salesman, hosted events for San Diego chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

Quote: “Among other things, I want to see junk food banned from public schools. It leads to obesity. How can we promote healthy living when we have Coca-Cola and cookies in our vending machines?”

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Randall D. Sprague

Age: 54

Party: Republican

Occupation: Private investigator specializing in civil rights cases

Residence: Elk Grove

Family: Married, two children, three grandchildren

Education: A.S., 1975, Portland (Ore.) Community College; B.S. in administration of criminal justice, 1977, Portland (Ore.) State University.

Career highlights: U.S. Army, 1969-72, including a year in Vietnam, earning Bronze Star and Air Medal; former insurance adjuster, loan officer and 10-year police officer; sponsor of youth soccer teams.

Quote: “I’m running for governor because [Gray Davis] made my mom cry. She’s not going to be able to pay the vehicle registration fee. I said then that I’m running for governor, in hope that whoever wins -- it’ll probably be Arnie -- will rescind that law.”

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William James Tsangares

Age: 42

Party: Republican

Occupation: Owns novelty store, designs and sells T-shirts and gift items.

Residence: Los Angeles

Family: Married, three children.

Education: B.A. in liberal studies, 1989, San Francisco State University.

Career highlights: Unsuccessful runs for Sausalito City Council and Marin County Board of Supervisors in 1988, Hollywood City Council in 2002; owned company that designed and sold novelty T-shirts, printed and produced commercial materials for companies, 1989-98; current owner of Los Feliz retail business.

Quote: “The recall campaign is destructive and disruptive. It invalidates the election held last November. It attempts to destroy the cornerstone of democracy, which is having valid elections to begin with.”

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Marc Valdez

Age: 46

Party: Democratic

Occupation: Consultant assisting companies to comply with air pollution regulations

Residence: Sacramento

Family: Single, no children.

Education: B.S. in history and physics, University of New Mexico, 1980; M.S. in atmospheric sciences, 1985, PhD in atmospheric sciences, 1987, both from University of Arizona.

Career highlights: Atmospheric science research at Arizona State University, 1988-1989, and at University of Utah, 1989-1990; consultant, Sierra Research, 1990-present; performing ballet in various community theater groups, including a recurring role as the grandfather in “The Nutcracker” for 10 years.

Quote: “The Davis administration had deteriorated to the point where anybody would be an improvement and I consider myself to be just as competent as any one of those guys, so why not?”

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Nathan Whitecloud Walton

Age: 25

Party: Nonpartisan

Occupation: Student

Residence: San Diego

Family: Single, no children

Education: B.A. in politics and political theory, 2001, Princeton University; accepted into MBA program, Stanford University, for fall term.

Career highlights: Captain of NCAA basketball team at Princeton, 2000-2001 season; started an investment hedge fund in New York, 2001-02; played for a professional basketball team in France, fall 2002; consultant on socially responsible business, January-June 2003.

Quote: “That people are seriously considering Arnold shows you how little they think of the system we have. I actually studied politics at one of the premier institutions in the country, which gives me more qualifications than somebody who was Mr. Olympia.”

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Lingel Winters

Age: 65

Party: Democrat

Status: Married, three children

Occupation: Attorney

Education: B.A. in history, 1960, Yale; law degree, 1965, UC Berkeley.

Career highlights: Just completed work on California’s $1.1-billion suit against Microsoft.

Quote: “I’m running as a concerned citizen. I am against the recall -- the Democrats are united on this. But someone has to ride shotgun, and that is my position. Jobs and education are my focus. We have to get these young and middle-age people working.”

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Michael Wozniak

Age: 52

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Retired police officer

Residence: San Leandro

Family: Single

Education: Liberty Union High School, 1969, Brentwood in Northern California.

Career highlights: Volunteer reserve deputy sheriff, Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, 1974-77; patrol officer, Oakland Police Department, 1977-97; part-time Internet manager, Oakland Harley-Davidson dealership, 1997-present; 10-year member of the local Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, holding various leadership roles, including president.

Quote: “Unlike Darrell Issa who left with the declaration of Arnold, I’m not scared and I’m in this for the long haul -- all 58 days. Arnold and I have pretty much the same political experience. He’s never held office and neither have I.”