Calif. gov candidate's vote record chided

INDIAN WELLS, Calif., Sept. 27 (UPI) -- One of the Republican candidates for governor of California is calling on GOP competitor Meg Whitman to drop out for the good of the party.

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner told a weekend party convention near Palm Springs that the fact Whitman never voted until she was 46 years old meant she was unqualified to run the state.

The Los Angeles Times said Sunday that Whitman, a 53-year-old former chief executive of eBay, dismissed the idea.

"I can imagine that Steve Poizner would like me to get out of the race, and it's not happening," Whitman said.

Whitman, Poizner and former Congressman Tom Campbell are vying for the nomination to replace outgoing incumbent Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010.

Whitman later told reporters that she took responsibility for not voting, but declined to delve into the reasons she declined to cast her ballot.

The Times said Whitman's voting record is the subject of a new Poizner Web video that points out Whitman never voted for GOP icon Ronald Reagan or party stalwart Pete Wilson.