Schwarzenegger opposes top GOP California gubernatorial candidates

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) will not get behind either of the leading Republican candidates for governor, his spokesman said Friday.

Daniel Ketchell told The Los Angeles Times that Schwarzenegger will not vote for either John Cox, a San Diego businessman, or Travis Allen, a state lawmaker. 

“He won’t support any candidate that plans to take California backward and undo our environmental leadership,” Ketchell said. 

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The spokesman did not say whom Schwarzenegger would support in the state’s primary, which is set to take place on Tuesday.

Schwarzenegger, who served in California’s governor’s mansion from 2003 until 2011, has been sharply critical of President Trump, including the president’s decision to endorse Cox in the California gubernatorial race.

“Focus on your job. Focus on building the infrastructure this country needs,” Schwarzenegger tweeted Thursday. “We don’t need your endorsements. We are moving forward just fine without your help. Besides, if California went backwards, you wouldn’t have your Twitter or your iPhone. You don’t want that.”

Focus on your job. Focus on building the infrastructure this country needs. We don’t need your endorsements. We are moving forward just fine without your help. Besides, if California went backwards, you wouldn’t have your Twitter or your iPhone. You don’t want that.

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) May 31, 2018

With Trump’s endorsement last month, Cox took the lead over Allen, putting him in second place behind Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a poll by the University of California – Berkley’s Institute of Governmental Studies released Thursday.

The former governor’s decision to speak out against two Republicans vying for the job he once held is unusual for Schwarzenegger, who has typically avoided weighing in on gubernatorial candidates.