Gray Davis was a politician.
Arnold Schwarzenegger . As a Republican , Schwarzenegger was first elected on October 7 , 2003 , in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis . Joseph Graham `` Gray '' Davis , Jr. ( born December 26 , 1942 ) is a retired American politician and attorney who served as the 37th Governor of California from 1999 to 2003 . He was succeeded in office on November 17 , 2003 by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger , who won the recall replacement race .