Schwarzenegger’s Hall of Fame induction in limbo amid standoff with Newsom

Alumni of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration gathered at the California Museum on Monday expecting to hear their former boss would be inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

But the Republican former governor’s name was conspicuously absent from the list Gov. Gavin Newsom read off during a reception previewing the incoming class, according to an attendee granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation — a seeming omission that raised questions about whether Schwarzenegger’s vocal opposition to Newsom’s gerrymandering push was a factor in the delay.

Newsom spokesperson Bob Salladay declined to confirm who is on the list but said a planned unveiling of the full class had been delayed, likely until November — which would almost certainly mean after a Nov. 4 special election on a new House map drawn to squeeze out Republicans. A California Museum spokesperson directed inquiries to the governor's office.

“Nobody’s being snubbed,” Salladay said. “The list remains the same, and we’re going to have a public announcement in a few months.”

But the development stunned people in Schwarzenegger’s orbit, some of whom had been invited to the event with the understanding that the former governor was going to be announced as an inductee.

His spokesperson, Daniel Ketchell, said Schwarzenegger had been notified of his planned induction but was not following the lead-up, including the Monday evening event. Ketchell said he did not know why the former governor’s name was not announced but said politics never affected their Hall of Fame decisions, noting Schwarzenegger — who created the Hall of Fame when he was in office — enshrined liberal icon Jane Fonda.

“It’s not the Republican Hall of Fame or the Democrat Hall of Fame — it’s the California Hall of Fame,” Ketchell said.

“He’s not going to worry about it,” Ketchell added. “He’s got plenty of awards on his wall that didn’t require being on the same side politically.”

As governor, Schwarzenegger championed efforts to strip line-drawing power from the Legislature and give it to an independent commission — work that will be effectively overridden if voters pass Newsom’s ballot measure.

While Newsom and allies have framed the plan as a necessary counter to Texas Republicans redrawing their map at President Donald Trump’s behest, Schwarzenegger has vowed to “terminate” the ballot initiative. He could be a formidable messenger given his near-universal name recognition and credibility with a swathe of California voters as an anti-Trump voice. He also has the wealth to significantly boost the opposition campaign.

Newsom sought to defuse that risk by visiting Schwarzenegger at his Los Angeles home in recent weeks, emphasizing to reporters that he and Schwarzenegger are united in their concerns about Trump.

“We had a fantastic conversation, and we share many of the same values,” Newsom told reporters last week.

Schwarzenegger has shared few details so far about how he intends to get involved in what is shaping up to be an enormously expensive campaign. But he offered a glimpse this week: He announced he’s selling a “f*** the politicians, terminate gerrymandering” T-shirt and channeling proceeds to the League of Women Voters, an opponent of partisan redistricting.