Schwarzenegger Stumps for GOP Assemblywoman

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger led a rally here Saturday for a Republican assemblywoman locked in a tough reelection fight, appeasing GOP leaders following a high-profile split with his party.

Speaking to hundreds of people who waited hours in this San Diego suburb to see him, Schwarzenegger urged voters to support Shirley Horton, a first-term lawmaker whom Democrats see as the most vulnerable of incumbent Republicans.

The governor stood beside Horton in front of an outdoor gazebo and described her as a reliable partner helping to advance his legislative agenda.

“I’ve seen her with women and men, together sitting at the table negotiating,” Schwarzenegger told the crowd of about 300 squeezed onto a stretch of grass in front of him. “And [one] ... would think that she couldn’t do that, when you see her because she’s so delicate. But then she comes in there with this Terminator attitude.”

Just last week, Schwarzenegger broke with his party to support ballot measures that would underwrite $3 billion worth of stem cell research and replace the traditional political party primaries with a blanket primary system.

On Saturday, he sought to salve some wounds. After demeaning leaders of both parties last week (“I didn’t come to Sacramento to make the political parties happy,” the governor had said), Schwarzenegger reverted to partisan campaign themes that unmistakably targeted the Democrats.

“You can imagine the fights we had with those liberals up there in Sacramento,” he said.

And by using valuable campaign time to work for Horton’s reelection, the governor is placating state GOP leaders who are eager to keep the San Diego County seat in Republican hands and want to see the popular Schwarzenegger stumping for the party.

Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield turned out for the rally, underscoring the importance of the race. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 16 seats in the 80-member Assembly. Republicans hope to net several seats in the election -- and key to that is beating back the Democratic challenge in Horton’s district.

“It makes a big difference,” McCarthy said of Schwarzenegger’s presence. “The governor won here. The governor is most popular in San Diego County of all the counties.”

Horton, 52, is running against Patty Davis, a Chula Vista city councilwoman. In 2002, Horton defeated Vince Hall, a onetime aide to former Gov. Gray Davis, by fewer than 1,600 votes. Neither was an incumbent.

The district, which includes San Diego’s San Carlos community and veers south to inland Chula Vista, Bonita, Lemon Grove and Spring Valley, is 42% Democratic and 35% Republican. About 18% of the voters declined to state their party affiliation. Republicans hope that an aggressive campaign by Schwarzenegger will woo that crucial bloc of voters. Horton said the governor would return for another campaign event next week.

Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican consultant and publisher of the “Target Book,” an analysis of legislative races, said that Schwarzenegger “has to help Shirley convince those people who are not voting for [President] Bush that they should vote for Shirley Horton. His help down there is paramount for her to be elected.”

Aligning herself with the popular governor, Horton has adopted some of his signature campaign themes.

“I carry that same agenda,” she told reporters after the rally. “I’m working for the people and not for the special interests. And we need to turn California around, otherwise we cannot expand our spending in education and we cannot expand spending protecting the environment or on healthcare or any other issues that are important to California.”

Horton’s campaign finance reports show that, in recent weeks, she has received thousands of dollars in contributions from Indian tribes, drug companies, car dealers and industry trade groups, among others.

She described her campaign donations as broad-based. “I have contributions from hard-working family members,” she said. “I have contributions from small businesses. I have contributions from people who are here in California creating jobs.”

Patty Davis, 54, said in an interview that she was not especially worried about Schwarzenegger’s appearance.

“Voters in that district are capable of making a decision based on the issues and the candidates,” she said. “He’s the governor. He’s a Republican. But I plan to work with him when I get to Sacramento.”