Schwarzenegger 's second term as Governor of California began on January 3 , 2007 and ended on January 3 , 2011 . On November 7 , 2006 , Schwarzenegger defeated Democratic state treasurer Phil Angelides in the California gubernatorial election to win a second term as governor . Now in his new term , Schwarzenegger pledged to be a centrist politician and cooperate with the Democrats to resolve statewide political issues . Only days into the term , the governor proposed universal health insurance in the state and called for new bonds for schools , prisons , and other infrastructure . In May 2007 , Schwarzenegger met with two of his counterparts in Canada , Dalton McGuinty and Gordon Campbell , in order to address climate change and advocate for stem cell research . An oil spill occurred in November when the '' Cosco Busan '' struck the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge
oil spill
Cosco Busan oil spill
Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger