Schwarzenegger remains in lead

SACRAMENTO, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's bipartisan politics seem to be paying off as polls show him with a strong lead over his Democratic challenger.

In the Public Policy Institute of California poll, the Republican governor was 13 percentage points ahead of Phil Angelides among likely voters in November, The Washington Post reported.

In recent weeks, Schwarzenegger has supported a plan from the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles to take over the city's underperforming schools. He also signed on an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

State Democratic leaders such as Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, who co-chairs Angelides's reelection campaign have traveled with the governor in support of a multibillion-dollar bond package to rebuild the state's roads, schools and water systems, which will be before the voters in November.

The governor's support of Democrats also has included legislation to increase the minimum wage to $8 an hour and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Some analysts think it is politically expedient for the Democratic-dominated legislature to have a governor with Schwarzenegger's appeal. "The legislators understand they can get more out of Arnold than Angelides because Arnold has to bargain," said one analyst.