We have maintained a pattern of increasing spending every year. Next year is not an election year, and assuming the number of democrats and Republicans remains about the same after November, the democrats may try to add twice as many new spending programs. Then, to "compromise," they will remove some of the new spending plans, and we will still end up with a lot more spending.
We need a tough governor to use his line-item veto to reduce spending even more. Davis definitely will not, since he wanted the higher spending levels. Bill Simon says he supports smaller government, so he should do a much better job than Davis. None of the other candidates has a chance.
Ron Guelke could win if conservatives all swung behind him while Davis and Simon split the liberal and moderate vote. All he needs is around 30% of the vote or so to win. If Simon and Davis got the rest, a conservative Jesse Ventura in California is more possible than anyone thinks.