SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s critics almost certainly have qualified a recall election for the ballot, a remarkable feat in the heavily Democratic state.

Now the real work begins.

The chance to recapture the governorship in the most populous state is an energizing prospect for Republicans who have been locked out of statewide office for more than a decade. But so far there's no candidate like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose fame attracted attention that helped him oust Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in the 2003 recall.

The challenge for Republicans is to find a candidate that can unite their base and appeal to voters beyond it.