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Defying Davis, Two Democrats Say They'll Run in Recall Vote Mr. Davis and his supporters were also dealt a sweeping legal setback late in the day, when the State Supreme Court refused to intervene in the recall. The seven-member court rejected five legal challenges, including one filed by Mr. Davis on Monday that would have delayed the vote until March and would have let him run as a possible successor to himself. Another denied petition sought to eliminate from the recall ballot the list of candidates who might replace Mr. Davis. If that petition had been successful, it would have effectively handed the governor's position to Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante, also a Democrat, if Mr. Davis lost the recall vote. It was unclear this evening whether any of the rulings would be appealed to the United States Supreme Court. Other recall suits are pending in federal court. "We are not going to make that decision tonight," a lawyer for Mr. Davis, Robin B. Johansen, said about an appeal. "I am really disappointed. I think it is going to be a ridiculously difficult election. I think after the election there is going to be litigation all over the place." The two Democrats who broke ranks with Mr. Davis, Mr. Bustamante and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, had previously ruled out candidacies. But with the waters around Mr. Davis becoming ever choppier, the two officials said Democratic voters needed an alternative to the growing list of Republican and other contenders. "I hope he is able to beat the recall," Mr. Bustamante said in Sacramento. "And we are going to be fighting to make sure in fact we do beat the recall. But if in fact he does not win, I believe we need another candidate, a serious Democratic candidate." The defections occurred as Republicans sorted through the aftermath of their own thunderbolt, the announcement on Wednesday by the actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, that he would jump on the increasingly crowded carousel of candidates and seek to replace Mr. Davis. More than 500 people have indicated an interest in appearing on the ballot. State Republican officials said Mr. Schwarzenegger's entry produced an overnight groundswell of support, as people went to party offices across the state to volunteer time, and voter registration drives soared. "Arnold shows that there are Republicans that are different than the image of the typical Republican," George M. Sundheim III, chairman of the state party, said. "In California, we haven't had that single individual that changes the image of the party. By running candidates across the spectrum, we are showing that all of these are good Republicans." Even with Mr. Schwarzenegger, the Republican side of the recall equation remained in flux, as his oversize presence seemed to crowd out some ambitions and inspire others. The Republican politician most responsible for the recall qualifying for the ballot, Representative Darrell Issa of San Diego, issued a teary statement that he was dropping out of the contest. Mr. Issa surprised his own staff when he appeared outside the office of the Registrar of Voters in San Diego, filing papers in hand, only to end his candidacy. "This was never about higher office," Mr. Issa said. "It was about higher obligation." He contributed $1.6 million toward the signature-gathering effort and just this week chipped in an additional $50,000 toward the legal costs of the pro-recall groups.
Nonetheless, he was considered a long shot in the crowded field of replacement candidates, which in addition to
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