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CNN Live Saturday

Bill Simon Drops out of Race in California

Aired August 23, 2003 - 14:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now we take you to the story we told you about earlier, Bill Simon is dropping out of the race for California governor. Here is some tape of that statement.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BILL SIMON (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE: ... there are to many Republicans in this race. And the people of our state simply can't risk a continuation of the Gray Davis legacy. For these reasons, I think it's wise to step aside. From the beginning, I have said that this historic recall election belongs to the people. It's your choice, and I know you will make a wise and educated decision. My wife Cindy and I have hearts filled with gratitude for the incredible privilege we've been given to meet hundreds of thousands of Californians on the campaign trail who believe like we two that this is a great state and that our best days are yet to come. We look forward to being of service in any way the good lord provides. Thank you.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SAN MIGUEL: And you've been listen to Bill Simon on tape, explaining why he is dropping out of the California recall election. The latest development in what as been a chaotic race. Bill Simon a Republican, you may recall, is ending his run for governor. The 52- year-old businessman and charity director announcing that decision and releasing the statement on tape, not really having a press conference, as it were. As we get more information on this, we will bring it to you. You may also recall Simon was a Republican nominee in the state's election last November losing to incumbent Democrat Gray Davis.

CNN's Miguel Marquez, is with us now from Los Angeles. More on this latest development in that recall election -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you there Renay. Can this get any more interesting?

Bill Simon, up til now, had not given an indication he would stay all the way through this thing but might be getting out at some point. Certainly didn't think this quickly or this definitively. Today he said he was going to drop out of the race, saying there you were too many Republicans in it. And he was hurting the party's overall effort to take the state house in Sacramento. Politically, what this mean to the other candidates, I talked to one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's press people and they say this makes the math better, for Mr. Schwarzenegger, obviously they are splitting their votes viewer fewer ways. Right now, what Mr. Schwarzenegger staff seems to be doing is hunkering down, figuring out what their strategy is now that Mr. Simon is out of the race. One thing we do know they are working on a statement from Mr. Schwarzenegger given that Mr. Simon has dropped out of the race.

The other personal that this really helps is in this race, is a by Tom McClintock. He's a state senator here. He was fairly conservative. And they were pretty much fighting for the same constituencies, the same voters in this thing. And his press person says this is now a three-person race. Their internal polling had showed Mr. Simon had been dropping and Mr. McClintock was rising. And they see it at Bustamante, Schwarzenegger and McClintock. The other thing he says that is very important to all of this is that Mr. McClintock is not getting out of this for any reason -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Miguel, I apologize if you have answered this question already. We have got a lot of other news coming around and a lot of people in my ear. But I can't imagine that Bill Simon would have any money left to, you know, to fight a worthy recall, considering he was just on the ballot last November.

MARQUEZ: He was on the ballot last November, but they all set up their campaign committees again. And he was actually raising money. One thing this does do, and it's a good point to bring up specially for McClintock's folks, and for Schwarzenegger, I suppose, this then allows more money to go to fewer campaigns. So you will see McClintock who has radio ads this weekend staring up, who says he will have TV adds in the next couple of weeks, have been the money to move forward. Simon has raised money, but him getting out helps the other candidates so they can focus their fund raising efforts as well -- Renay.

Miguel Marquez, thanks for rolling with the punches with us on this breaking news.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 23, 2003 - 14:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Now we take you to the story we told you about earlier, Bill Simon is dropping out of the race for California governor. Here is some tape of that statement.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BILL SIMON (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE: ... there are to many Republicans in this race. And the people of our state simply can't risk a continuation of the Gray Davis legacy. For these reasons, I think it's wise to step aside. From the beginning, I have said that this historic recall election belongs to the people. It's your choice, and I know you will make a wise and educated decision. My wife Cindy and I have hearts filled with gratitude for the incredible privilege we've been given to meet hundreds of thousands of Californians on the campaign trail who believe like we two that this is a great state and that our best days are yet to come. We look forward to being of service in any way the good lord provides. Thank you.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SAN MIGUEL: And you've been listen to Bill Simon on tape, explaining why he is dropping out of the California recall election. The latest development in what as been a chaotic race. Bill Simon a Republican, you may recall, is ending his run for governor. The 52- year-old businessman and charity director announcing that decision and releasing the statement on tape, not really having a press conference, as it were. As we get more information on this, we will bring it to you. You may also recall Simon was a Republican nominee in the state's election last November losing to incumbent Democrat Gray Davis.

CNN's Miguel Marquez, is with us now from Los Angeles. More on this latest development in that recall election -- Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you there Renay. Can this get any more interesting?

Bill Simon, up til now, had not given an indication he would stay all the way through this thing but might be getting out at some point. Certainly didn't think this quickly or this definitively. Today he said he was going to drop out of the race, saying there you were too many Republicans in it. And he was hurting the party's overall effort to take the state house in Sacramento. Politically, what this mean to the other candidates, I talked to one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's press people and they say this makes the math better, for Mr. Schwarzenegger, obviously they are splitting their votes viewer fewer ways. Right now, what Mr. Schwarzenegger staff seems to be doing is hunkering down, figuring out what their strategy is now that Mr. Simon is out of the race. One thing we do know they are working on a statement from Mr. Schwarzenegger given that Mr. Simon has dropped out of the race.

The other personal that this really helps is in this race, is a by Tom McClintock. He's a state senator here. He was fairly conservative. And they were pretty much fighting for the same constituencies, the same voters in this thing. And his press person says this is now a three-person race. Their internal polling had showed Mr. Simon had been dropping and Mr. McClintock was rising. And they see it at Bustamante, Schwarzenegger and McClintock. The other thing he says that is very important to all of this is that Mr. McClintock is not getting out of this for any reason -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Miguel, I apologize if you have answered this question already. We have got a lot of other news coming around and a lot of people in my ear. But I can't imagine that Bill Simon would have any money left to, you know, to fight a worthy recall, considering he was just on the ballot last November.

MARQUEZ: He was on the ballot last November, but they all set up their campaign committees again. And he was actually raising money. One thing this does do, and it's a good point to bring up specially for McClintock's folks, and for Schwarzenegger, I suppose, this then allows more money to go to fewer campaigns. So you will see McClintock who has radio ads this weekend staring up, who says he will have TV adds in the next couple of weeks, have been the money to move forward. Simon has raised money, but him getting out helps the other candidates so they can focus their fund raising efforts as well -- Renay.

Miguel Marquez, thanks for rolling with the punches with us on this breaking news.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com