SACRAMENTO, California — In the end, Gavin Newsom named Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Hall of Fame — though it took longer than the Arnold-verse expected.
Newsom announced Schwarzenegger’s induction, along with eight others who “represent the best of the California spirit,” on Tuesday, about six months after Schwarzenegger’s name was conspicuously absent from an early list of inductees the governor previewed at a reception.
To alumni of the former Republican governor’s administration who had anticipated he would be honored, last summer’s omission raised questions about whether it was influenced by Schwarzenegger’s opposition to Newsom’s redistricting gambit. Schwarzenegger, who created the Hall of Fame when he was in office, vocally opposed the effort.
Voters ultimately approved Newsom’s redistricting plan in a November special election. Now months later, Newsom praised Schwarzenegger in a statement as a “singular figure in California history,” saying he embodies “the Golden State’s promise of opportunity.”
“From humble beginnings, he built himself into a world champion bodybuilder, Hollywood icon, successful businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, bestselling author, and the 38th Governor of California,” Newsom said.
Other notable inductees include Hollywood star and humanitarian Jamie Lee Curtis, distance swimmer and LA28 chief athletic officer Janet Evans and chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, who co-founded the Nobu restaurant empire.
