Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger credited Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton for his decision to run for California governor in the historic 2003 election. Voters recalled Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and replaced him with a Republican action movie superstar.

revelation comes New mini-documentary about skeletonsa well-known political columnist recorded: California politics for more than half a century.

“What most people don't know is that George Skelton is, in some ways, the person who is actually responsible for me running for governor,” Schwarzenegger said in the LA-produced mini-documentary. He spoke in “Bold Ink: The Life of a Columnist.''mark times studio 50th anniversary of skeleton newspaper The Times.

“I was on a movie set, minding my own business, doing Terminator 3. Then I read an article about the recall and called him,” Schwarzenegger recalled. Film by Senior Producer Karen Foshay. “And he said, 'Well, you'd be perfect, you'd be a great candidate.'”

Schwarzenegger said Skelton continued the interview and then I wrote a column about their conversation..

“From that point on, all of a sudden people started attacking me and saying, 'This is a great idea, you should run for governor,'” Schwarzenegger said. “I said, 'Look, I'm making a movie and I don't have time to do this.' But that ended up dragging me into everything. .”

of Documentary about Skelton's journalism career It captures his unflinching style and includes interviews with several politicians he has covered over the years. The episode will be broadcast on Spectrum News 1 on LA Times Today in Southern California on January 24th at 7pm and 10pm.

Or you can watch anytime here. George Skelton of the LA Times: 50 years of 'extremely' cutting through California politics

I'm Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento bureau chief for The Times. We bring you the week's biggest news in California politics.

Battle for second place in the Senate election

still In another opinion poll Democratic Congressman Adam B. Schiff of Burbank Taking the lead in California's Senate race He will succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The real drama is taking shape in the race for second place between Democratic Rep. Katie Porter (Irvine) and former Dodgers star Steve Garvey (R). Under California's nonpartisan primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the March 5 primary will advance to the November general election, regardless of party. Therefore, the battle for second place is a big problem.

Mr. Garvey, who until this month had been leading a very low-key (almost invisible) campaign, recently began touring the state holding media events and talking to voters.

In the shadows of Petco Park last week, Garvey was hailed as a hero for the Padres, playing alongside baseball legends. Tony Gwynn and helped the team First World Series appearancewrites Times political reporter Benjamin Oreskes. In Los Angeles, voters beamed as they posed for photos. Former All-Star Dodgers first baseman who fixed Legendary infielder for the teams of the 1970s and early 1980s.

Few people knew that Mr. Garvey was running for the U.S. Senate. But everyone remembered his steel forearms – “Hey, Popeye” one exclaimed — and found success on the diamond in two baseball-mad towns.

Mr. Garvey's baseball reputation has become a focal point of his Senate campaign, but it is at best There is little hope in Republican-dominated states. Candidates running statewide often receive a tepid response from California's left-wing voters. He says that what drives him to controversy is nostalgia for his playing days, a heavy criticism of California's declining quality of life and the scourge of illegal drugs flowing into cities, and a less specific political message. I hope it is.

“Once we get through the primaries, we'll start digging deeper.” [issues]'' Garvey said Thursday outside a homeless shelter in San Diego.

Read more in this article: Steve Garvey is counting on Dodgers and Padres fans to help propel him in Republican Senate race

As the population declines, who will move to California?

in spite of California's high cost of livingthe state continues to attract more educated and higher income residents. Reported by Times staff writers Terry Castleman and Ashley Ann..

New census data suggests people are still drawn to California's strong economy and prestigious universities in high-tech, health care and entertainment industries.

In 2022, Almost two-thirds of people who moved to California More than half of immigrants from other states had a bachelor's degree or higher, according to census data.

The findings come amid an overall decline in California's population, a trend that has implications for the state's economic and political standing. California's population has declined for the third year in a row. From July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, there will be approximately 37,000 people, a decrease of 0.1%.

The loss is small compared to Over 500,000 people The state suffered losses from April 2020 to July 2022. However, it remains the sixth-largest loss rate of any state during this period. Castleman and Anne's report.

Read their full article here: Despite the exodus from California, wealthy and educated people still flock here. Will they stay?

Keep up with California politics

The billionaire-backed futuristic city is no longer shrouded in secrecy.Click here for details
Tech billionaires who have spent years secretly amassing land in a scrubby prairie on the edge of San Francisco Bay begin gathering signatures for a ballot initiative in Solano County that would pave the way for building a new city from the ground up. He said he intended to do so.

Interview: California's new senator LaFonza Butler talks Trump, Gaza, and her future
Senator LaFonza Butler (D-Calif.). gavin newsome was appointed to fill the seat of the deceased last year. dianne feinstein, has been in Congress for just over 100 days. On Wednesday, ahead of her first formal speech on the Senate floor, she spoke to the Times about what she hopes to accomplish before leaving office early next year.

Newsom proposes ways to crack down on property crimes without repealing Proposition 47
Gov. Gavin Newsom says smash-and-grab theft from California stores won't be solved, and changes to Prop. 47 would make it easier for voters of the decade-old law to remove items valued at less than $950. He said he approved changing some felonies to misdemeanors, including theft of property. . Instead, he wants to crack down on what he calls “professional thieves.”

California's water conservation plan slammed as expensive, complicated and unrealistic
After a scathing review, state legislators have found California's proposed urban water conservation regulations to be costly, overly complex and difficult to implement.

California bill opens door to psychedelic therapy after legalization of 'magic mushrooms' fails
The move to legalize psychedelics in California comes after efforts to pass more sweeping changes failed, with gradual steps to allow the use of psychedelic drugs in treatment settings. It seems like we are entering a new phase of focus.

Newsom blocks proposal to ban youth tackle football: 'Parents have the freedom to decide'
Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged Wednesday that he would not oppose any bills that: California bans youth tackle footballsaid in a statement to the Times that he would veto any such bill.

Voters say California's budget deficit is a 'very serious' problem, poll finds
Half of California's registered voters consider the state's budget deficit an “extremely serious” problem, and 57% say the state's I think we are heading in the wrong direction.

Poll: California Democratic Party sharply divided on immigration debate
Immigration and border security issues are uniting Republican voters in California while polarizing Democratic voters, a statewide poll finds.new discovery University of California, Berkeley Institute of Government PollThis article, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, illustrates some of the political challenges President Biden faces in dealing with the large number of illegal immigrants crossing the US southern border.