Ten years ago this week, Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected the 38th governor of California in the state's first recall election.
The recall began when a group of Republicans filed a petition to recall Gov. Gray Davis from office.
The recall wasn't taken seriously until Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican who represents the San Diego area and is currently the wealthiest member of Congress, donated more than $1 million to the efforts.
Opponents said Davis lacked leadership and mismanaged events leading up to a massive increase in energy costs. More than 1 million signatures were collected to put his recall on the ballot.
There were 135 candidates who ran to take Davis' spot, including:
Davis' own lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante, a Democrat.
Issa then dropped out in August, saying there were enough strong Republican candidates. He had faced criticism that the only reason he donated to the recall was so he could get the job.
Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican.
Adult actress Mary Carey, an Independent.
Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman, an independent.
Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington, an independent.