One of the first major polls of voters in California finds Democrat Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to be leading the race to succeed Gov. Gray Davis if voters recall Davis next month. Bustmante stood at 25 percent, three percentage points higher than Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The other candidates trailed in the single digits. The California Field Poll also found Gray Davis to be most unpopular governor in the 56 years since the poll was first conducted. Nearly 60 percent of Californians now back the recall.

While the recall is set for Oct. 7, a federal judge in San Jose may delay the recall vote by months because the hasty schedule may violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965.