California race enters final hours

Arnie went in search of the surfer vote

Candidates for the governorship of America's richest state, California, have been racing to squeeze the maximum coverage out of the final day of the campaign.

Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the frontrunner to replace incumbent Gray Davis, but his campaign continues to be dogged by allegations that he harassed women on film sets and in interviews, and that he once praised Hitler.

Mr Schwarzenegger has publicly apologised for "bad behaviour" towards women in the past, but has strenuously denied allegations that he expressed admiration for the German Nazi leader.

In the special election, voters will decide whether to recall" Mr Davis, a Democrat, who is being challenged because of dissatisfaction over his handling of the state's economy - the fifth largest in the world.

The second part of the ballot lists 135 replacement candidates - including Mr Schwarzenegger, a Republican.

Polls suggest he will become governor but pollsters are cautious because they have no idea how electors will behave in an election unprecedented in California.

'Crime'

Mr Davis was in San Francisco, where over 2,000 firefighters marched in support of his campaign.

Davis appealed to be allowed to finish his term

"If you give me the chance to finish my term, I will do it with all the passion, all the humanity I can muster because my goal is to make your life better," he said.

Mr Davis has said that allegations made by a number of women of past sexual misconduct by Mr Schwarzenegger from a number of women mean that he is unfit to govern.

"It's frankly hard for me to believe that any of them are lying," said Mr Davis.

But Mr Schwarzenegger was in ebullient mood on Monday, largely ignoring the allegations, and attacking Mr Davis' fiscal policies.

"They're chasing jobs and businesses out of the state and now it is time we chase Gray Davis out of Sacramento," he said.

New allegations

The latest allegations surfaced at a news conference on Sunday, a day after the Los Angeles Times newspaper quoted six women who said they had been fondled by the star.

A former TV station intern told reporters that Mr Schwarzenegger had groped her when she was showing him around a studio 25 years ago.

Later, a radio presenter claimed the actor had fondled her ankles and knees while she was interviewing him.

The actor-turned-politician said no one had ever confronted him.

"If they'd said to me 'How dare you?', I could have apologised right there and then," he said.

Last week, Mr Schwarzenegger did admit to behaviour which "offended people" after the Los Angeles Times reported that he had sexually harassed and groped women over a 25-year period.

"Yes, it is true that I was on rowdy movie sets and I have done things that were not right, that I thought were playful but now I recognise that I have offended people," he said.