Schwarzenegger Eyeing 2018 Run For Feinstein Senate Seat: Report
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Maybe he really will be back.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is reportedly mulling a return to public office following an ongoing feud with President Donald Trump over ratings for TV's "Celebrity Apprentice".
If the 69-year-old "Terminator" star does opt to run again, it would likely be in the 2018 U.S. Senate race for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat, according to Politico.
A Twitter war between the former and current "Apprentice" hosts erupted last week after Schwarzenegger announced he would be leaving the show, even as Trump - who retains an executive producer credit on the show - maintains he was fired.
You should think about hiring a new joke writer and a fact checker. https://t.co/SvAjuPdHfa
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 4, 2017
A spokesman for Schwarzenegger would not rule out a potential 2018 run, at which Feinstein would be 85 years old and up for reelection.
Schwarzenegger's time as governor from 2004-11 was marred by a then-ballooning state budget deficit and a bipartisan campaign in 2004 to persuade voters to approve the Economic Recovery Bonds to close the budget gap.
At the time, he pitched the debt refinancing campaign as a way to avoid enormous public service cuts and possible tax increases. Voters approved Proposition 57, but the budget deficits quickly reappeared and the debt service from the bonds added to California's fiscal woes.
By the end of his time in office, Schwarzenegger's bonds cost the state $19.1 billion, according to estimates from the state treasurer's office.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)