No Gov. Schwarzenegger

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/29/1997 at 12:00 AM EDT

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 53, has ruled out a run for the California governor's mansion next year, the Austrian-born action star and naturalized Republican told the Los Angeles Times. He cited his career and his family for keeping him from the race. In a statement released Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said, "Action star is a bully pulpit for now, but serving America in the specific capacity of a public official independent of special interests is a longtime dream of mine."