Davis' quest for a united front, however, has been complicated by his lack of warm relations with many fellow Democrats.
Recall supporters, meanwhile, say the governor should be ousted because he lied about the depth of California's fiscal troubles when he was running for reelection, a charge Davis has denied.
On the Republican side, Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista has already launched his campaign for governor on the recall ballot. Issa, a multimillionaire, is financing much of the recall effort and pushing for a fall election. Other Republicans weighing whether to run include actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the party's 2002 gubernatorial nominee, Bill Simon Jr.
The Democrat most notably silent on Tuesday was Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. He is widely seen as the Democratic officeholder most likely to gamble on putting his name on the recall ballot. Bustamante, who has had a number of clashes with Davis, has said he opposes the recall but dodged questions on whether he might run if it qualifies for the ballot.
"If the recall effort becomes a reality, he'll make his intentions known," said Bustamante spokeswoman Deborah Pacyna.
Much speculation also has focused on U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein entering the race. As a popular officeholder, Feinstein could hurt the Republican Party's chances of capturing the governorship but also might knock Davis out of that spot by making it easier for Democrats to support his recall, knowing that she might succeed him.
Although Feinstein and Davis are not close, she has sharply denounced the recall effort. She has stopped short, however, of ruling out a candidacy.
The announcements by Lockyer and Angelides came three days after they attended a private recall strategy meeting called by California's organized-labor brass. About 40 union leaders gathered around a conference table at a Holiday Inn in Sacramento, participants said.
Labor unions are one of the Democratic constituencies with the most to lose if a Republican replaces Davis; they have donated millions of dollars to his campaigns, and he has supported much of their agenda.
The labor group invited Lockyer, Angelides and state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi into the meeting for about 45 minutes; Bustamante participated by speakerphone.
Art Pulaski, California Federation of Labor leader who called the meeting, said all of the state officials "agreed to join us in a public statement opposing the recall."
