US: At least 80 people, including actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, columnist Arianna Huffington and someone who said he was registering just for the thrill of seeing his name on the ballot, had officially joined the race for California governor when the deadline passed on Saturday.
But Governor Gray Davis, the unpopular Democratic incumbent who faces an unprecedented recall election, maintained that most of those running lacked substance and pledged to fight to keep his job.
In what is shaping up as one of the most colourful and potentially chaotic elections in the state's history, Schwarzenegger, a Republican. has emerged as a leading candidate, with a high profile and a comfortable TV presence that could be hard to beat.
But Democratic hopes for holding onto the office were also revived late in the day, after the state's insurance commissioner, Mr John Garamendi, dropped out of the race, leaving the party with a single high-profile candidate, Lt Gov Cruz Bustamante.
Governor Davis himself will not be on the ballot. Voters who go to the polls on October 7th will vote twice: first on whether the governor should be recalled, then on who should replace him in the event of him being voted out.
A Time/CNN poll released on Saturday, before Mr Garamendi had dropped out, found Schwarzenegger would get the biggest slice of the vote - 25 percent - if the election were held now. Mr Bustamante was second most popular, with 15 per cent.
Wearing jeans and an open-collar shirt, the Austrian-born Schwarzenegger told a group of chanting supporters on Saturday that he would be "the people's governor", before stepping aside to let his wife, Ms Maria Shriver, offer her own words of support.
Ms Shriver, a prominent Democrat and the niece of slain President John F. Kennedy, said her husband would represent "Democrats, Republicans and independents across the state".
Others who have joined the race include Mr Bill Simon, a prominent Republican businessman who was defeated by Governor Davis in 2002, businessman and former Olympic organizer Mr Peter Ueberroth and porn magazine publisher Mr Larry Flynt.
Although some political observers have called the recall process an example of true democracy, others have expressed dismay over the circus atmosphere that has diverted attention from key issues and raised the prospect of placing an unqualified person in office.
"This is a serious matter," San Francisco's Mayor Willie Brown said in a television interview. "Some people will turn it into an opportunity to promote something other than their ability to lead the state of California."
Governor Davis's popularity declined in the wake of the state's energy problems two years ago and a recent fiscal crisis.