{"id":2647653,"date":"2026-08-21T06:27:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expert-on-california-law-that-led-to-arnold-schwarzeneggers-governorship-is-dead\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T06:37:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:37:09","slug":"expert-on-california-law-that-led-to-arnold-schwarzeneggers-governorship-is-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expert-on-california-law-that-led-to-arnold-schwarzeneggers-governorship-is-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert on California law that led to Arnold Schwarzenegger&#8217;s governorship is dead"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexpert-on-california-law-that-led-to-arnold-schwarzeneggers-governorship-is-dead%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2647653&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A California ballot measure, sponsored by Democrats, seeks to reform the state&#8217;s recall election law, which has been in place since 1911. The law allows voters to remove elected officials through a two-step process: first, deciding whether to recall the official, and second, selecting a replacement if the recall is approved. Critics argue the current system is undemocratic because it can lead to officials being ousted by a majority with less than a majority of the total vote, especially since all candidates run on a single ballot without primaries or runoffs.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed change, detailed in Proposition 5, would simplify the process by asking voters only whether to remove the official; if yes, the lieutenant governor would automatically succeed them. Opponents claim this limits voter influence and favors incumbents, contradicting the law&#8217;s original aim to hold officials accountable and prevent corruption.<\/p>\n<p>historically,California has experienced only one successful gubernatorial recall,in 2003,when Gray Davis was replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The current debate reflects ongoing tensions about the state&#8217;s political stability and the influence of minority viewpoints. Recognizable figures like recall expert Joshua Spivak, who recently passed away, would have provided in-depth analysis of these changes, emphasizing their importance for California&#8217;s democratic processes.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Democratic-sponsored California ballot measure aims to salve a long-festering political wound for Team Blue.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine\/4691755\/inside-scoop-jim-antle-midterm-election-copying-trump-refusing-debate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Inside Scoop: Wasted midterm opportunity, copying Trump, refusing to debate<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/videos\/4674677\/inside-scoop-jim-antle-big-beautiful-bill-rebrand-richard-nixon-andy-burnham\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Inside Scoop: Big Beautiful rebrand, \u2018Nixon-maxxing,\u2019 Burnham\u2019s burden<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4668989\/zohran-mamdani-property-tax-bait-and-switch-perils-socialism\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Mamdani\u2019s bait-and-switch underscores perils of socialism\u2019s promises<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voters in the Nov. 3 midterm elections will decide whether to significantly alter California\u2019s recall election law, a statute that\u2019s been on the books since 1911 but wasn\u2019t deployed successfully in a governor\u2019s race until 2003. When voters chose to replace Democratic Gov. Gray Davis \u2014 less than a year after winning reelection \u2014 with Republican movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger.\u00a0And though Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) beat back a GOP-initiated recall attempt in 2021, Democrats say it\u2019s time to change the current system. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s one they call a distortion of democracy, in which a noisy political minority can effectively overthrow a duly elected statewide official. While defenders of the current recall law, often Republicans, say the ballot measure is a thinly veiled lawmaker incumbent protection racket for rogue politicians defying the public\u2019s anger over rising crime, high taxes, rampant homelessness, and onerous environmental standards. With these and other policy sins by Democrats in this deeply blue state.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The debate over Proposition 5 is likely to intensify as Election Day nears. One that will miss the dispassionate yet deeply knowledgeable voice of the nation\u2019s widely acknowledged recall expert \u2014 Berkeley, California-based Joshua Spivak, who died peacefully in his sleep on July 12, 2025, at age 51.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">In October 2003, under the California recall law in place since 1911, voters removed Democratic Gov. Gray Davis from office and replaced him with<br \/> Republican movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. State Democrats now aim<br \/> to alter the recall law through Proposition 5, which California voters will consider in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. (Examiner illustration; Jae C. Hong\/AP; Nam Y. Huh\/AP)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/WB.Politics.082626.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;658&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In October 2003, under the California recall law in place since 1911, voters removed Democratic Gov. Gray Davis from office and replaced him with Republican movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. State Democrats now aim to alter the recall law through Proposition 5, which California voters will consider in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. (Examiner illustration; Jae C. Hong\/AP; Nam Y. Huh\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spivak was\u00a0a senior research fellow at UC Berkeley Law\u2019s California Constitution Center, among other academic affiliations. Spivak, a Columbia Law School alum, was also a longtime West Coast anchor for Ripp Media\/Public Relations, a top communications firm, based in New York City.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJosh was a perfect fit for my media relations practice focused on law firms and legal affairs,\u201d eponymous firm founder and Spivak\u2019s boss for more than 20 years, Allan Ripp, wrote in an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/rippmedia.com\/NY-Law-Journal-Josh-Spivak-Tribute.pdf\">Aug. 5, 2025 remembrance<\/a>. Ripp added that Spivak was a hot media commodity himself if a recall election qualified for the ballot somewhere.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhenever an elected official anywhere faced a recall,\u201d Ripp wrote about the father of two young men, in college and high school, who first moved west from his native Brooklyn when his wife Amelia was starting a Ph.D. in mathematics at UC Berkeley. \u201cJosh was sought out by news outlets around the country for perspective and legal analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">Joshua Spivak. (AP Photo)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/WB.Politics2.082626.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;1024&#8243; width=&#8221;819&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joshua Spivak. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spivak was routinely interviewed about and quoted in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/09\/01\/us\/why-does-california-have-recalls.html\"><em>The New York Times<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/politics\/joegarofoli\/article\/gavin-newsom-recall-california-20187129.php\"><em>San Francisco Chronicle<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/joshua-spivak-8651873_the-california-report-activity-7275636833189818370-84XI\/\">KQED<\/a> (the San Francisco-based Bay Area NPR affiliate). Plus a range of other <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mainepublic.org\/npr-news\/2021-09-15\/efforts-to-recall-governors-are-common-but-they-rarely-succeed\">news outlets<\/a> in the United States and abroad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was no shortage of subject matter fodder. In 39 states, local officials can be subject to recall elections. California is among 19 states that permit recalls of state-level officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spivak was, as UC Berkeley Law noted in an Aug. 5, 2025, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/scocablog.com\/in-memoriam-joshua-spivak\/\">remembrance<\/a>, \u201cthe nation\u2019s foremost \u2014 nay, only \u2014 expert on recall elections. He was a thinker and scholar who published many works to define the field he pioneered: books, academic journal articles, and hundreds of public commentary pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That included six pieces for this magazine in the first half of 2025. Among the highlights: \u201cThe end of the founders\u2019 presidency\u201d (<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine\/3301279\/end-of-founders-presidency\/\">Jan. 31<\/a>); \u201cCampaigns for new statewide jobs in 2026 likely mean foregoing 2028 presidential runs\u201d (<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3336188\/campaigns-statewide-jobs-2026-likely-forgoing-2028-presidential-runs\/\">March 7<\/a>); and \u201cSenators make a beeline for open governorships\u201d (<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3442063\/senators-running-for-governor\/\">June 20<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each column brought a unique analytic take to the political news of the day. With a thematic throughline emphasizing that members of Congress in both parties have, in recent decades, ceded constitutionally granted powers to the executive branch.\u00a0A turn of events that has distorted\u00a0the careful checks and balances envisioned by the Founding Fathers. And this ongoing lapse in respect for constitutional structures made the type of daily executive branch power grabs by President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> during his second, nonconsecutive term almost inevitable.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-reforming-the-recall\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reforming the recall?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spivak, no doubt, would have been busy with analysis about the California recall statewide ballot measure. The proposal\u2019s central change to current law is a provision that applies to each recall attempt of a state-level official. It consists of two separate ballot questions. Voters are first asked a \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d question about whether they want to remove the incumbent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The state-level official recall ballot\u2019s next part has voters pick among the candidates vying to replace them. The incumbent can\u2019t run in that replacement \u201celection,\u201d which denies them two bites of the political apple.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rub is that the replacement results only matter if a majority votes \u201cyes\u201d on the first question. If a majority of voters reject recalling the incumbent, nothing happens. That was the situation in 2021 when the question before voters, \u201cShall Gavin Newsom be recalled (removed) from the office of Governor?\u201d received a nearly 62% \u201cno\u201d vote and only a 38% \u201cyes\u201d vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That proved a starkly different result from the 2003 California gubernatorial recall, when voters chose to recall Davis, a Sacramento political veteran who was chief of staff to a prior governor, a state assemblyman, a state controller, and California\u2019s lieutenant governor, before he won the governorship in 1998.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2023, a \u201cyes\u201d recall of Davis earned 55.39% to 44.61% for the \u201cno\u201d side. Schwarzenegger, a first-time candidate, finished first in the gubernatorial replacement race that included 135 candidates. Schwarzenegger earned 48.6%, to 31.5% for his closest Democratic rival, then-Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), then a state legislator, drew 13.5%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The successful recall effort was, in hindsight, an early sign of populist anger at the political status quo, which manifested nationally 13 years later with the election of Trump, a real estate developer and celebrity game show host. Even as their styles differed greatly, with Schwarzenegger offering a sunny, California can-do optimism about free markets and Trump emphasizing an angry, often gloomy, populist-nationalist vision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while Schwarzenegger won by playing by the rules \u2014 and then capturing a full, four-year gubernatorial term in the 2006 elections \u2014 California Democrats have long been angry about that 23-year-old turn of events because California is such a Democratic state, and a Republican still won on their political turf.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats and \u201cgood government\u201d critics contend this system is fundamentally undemocratic. If a \u201cyes\u201d vote prevails, the successor can get elected with less than a majority of the vote, as Schwarzenegger did. That\u2019s because all the candidates from all parties run on a single ballot without any primary or runoff to winnow the field.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, Proposition 5, which the state\u2019s Democratic-led legislature voted to place on this year\u2019s ballot back in 2024, would amend the state constitution to change the process. Under the proposed amendment, voters would simply be asked whether or not they want to recall the incumbent. If the governor is ousted, the lieutenant governor would automatically take over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4681391\/south-carolina-senate-special-primary-results\/\">DARLINE GRAHAM NORDONE, RALPH NORMAN ADVANCE TO RUNOFF IN SENATE RACE TO REPLACE LINDSEY GRAHAM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ballot measure opponents argue that the proposal would limit voter power and serve as a shield for incumbent politicians. The ballot measure, these critics say, runs counter to the recall law\u2019s spirit and intent. Voters approved it in 1911 as a way to check corrupt state officials beholden to deep-pocketed railroad titans and other entrenched special interests, they note.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There have been 56 attempts to recall a governor since California adopted the process in the early 20th century. The Schwarzenegger \u201cTotal Recall\u201d election was the only one to work. That\u2019s the kind of fact Spivak would have had ready to recite in any waking moment \u2014 and the type of context about a proposed major change to California campaigns and elections for which he\u2019ll be so missed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>David Mark (<\/em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DavidMarkDC\"><em>@DavidMarkDC<\/em><\/a><em>) is the managing editor of the<\/em> Washington Examiner <em>magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California Democrats seek recall law reform to address political frustrations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2695,"featured_media":2647654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WB.Politics.082626.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[44043,47845,4173,37183,36284],"class_list":["post-2647653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-arnold-schwarzenegger","tag-california-law","tag-governor","tag-legal-history","tag-political-legacy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WB.Politics.082626.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2647653"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2647657,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2647653\/revisions\/2647657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2647654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2647653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2647653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2647653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}