first term of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California began on November 17 , 2003 , and ended on January 3 , 2007 . Campaigning for Governor of California as a member of the Republican Party , Schwarzenegger was elected on October 7 , 2003 , defeating incumbent Democratic governor Gray Davis in the California gubernatorial recall election . In the first year of his first term as governor , Schwarzenegger proposed deep cuts in the state budget and was met with opposition in the California State Legislature . When San Francisco started granting same-sex marriage licenses at the behest of mayor Gavin Newsom , the governor ordered state attorney general Bill Lockyer to intervene in the matter and vetoed legislation that would have legalized same-sex marriage . Because of their opposition to his budget cuts , Schwarzenegger controversially called his opponents in the legislature girlie men . At the 2004 Republican National Convention , Schwarzenegger gave a speech endorsing the reelection of George W. Bush as President of the United States
2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
First term of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California