Former sports czar Peter V. Ueberroth, who built a career by making long odds pay off, on Tuesday ended his bid to become California's next governor, saying there wasn't enough time left "for this candidacy to get across the goal line."
His departure winnowed the list of top contenders and better defined the battle with less than a month to go before the Oct. 7 recall election.
Although he is a Republican, Ueberroth was running as a centrist with bipartisan appeal, and the top three remaining candidates moved quickly to lay claim to his supporters.
Three hours after Ueberroth's announcement, state Sen. Tom McClintock asserted that he was gaining momentum and challenged fellow Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger to a "real Lincoln-Douglas debate."
Ueberroth's campaign said his decision to quit was not tied to the release of Field Poll results Monday that showed the Laguna Beach businessman drawing support from only 5% of likely voters and trailing the leaders, Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Schwarzenegger, by at least 20 percentage points.
Given Ueberroth's relative low standing in the polls, his departure wasn't likely to give much of a bump to anyone, some analysts said.
"I wouldn't guess that it will have a huge impact, frankly," said Walter Stone, chairman of the UC Davis political science department. While it was unclear where Ueberroth's supporters might go, "there just aren't enough of them to make a huge difference."
What could be more significant is who Ueberroth endorses. He declined Tuesday to back any of his competitors, saying he intended to meet with the main contenders to find out who would best push his agenda to resolve the state's budget crisis through job creation.
Ueberroth brought a positive image and potentially millions of dollars to the campaign, and his backing could provide a possible lift to any of Gov. Gary Davis' challengers.
"He's still highly respected in Southern California, and his endorsement could have an impact on how people vote," said Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican strategist.
Ueberroth, architect of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and former Major League Baseball commissioner, pledged to work with any governor to help resolve the state's financial problems. That offer included Davis, should he survive the Oct. 7 recall, although Ueberroth said he still supports the recall, does not consider Davis to be a candidate and would not consider endorsing him.
