Mary Carey: The Girl Who Would Be Governor
It was 20 years ago in 2003 that Mary Carey gave Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger some competition in the California gubernatorial race. Not much competition but enough to earn 10,100 votes.
As we noted at the time, “Mary was everywhere you looked: The New York Times, Fox News, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Washington Post, The BBC, Newsweek and Time magazines, CNN and thousands of other newspapers and magazines. Meanwhile, the first Chinese astronaut got a small story on page 10, no picture. Who says the world’s priorities are screwed-up?
The legendary New York City newspaperman Jimmy Breslin wrote, “She is a porn movie star and a pretty one. She got on the ballot by standing at a gas station and collecting signatures. She has the idea that publicity from being in an election for governor of California will help her cross over from porn movies to major films. Dumb she is not.”
“I don’t think I could ever top running for governor,” Mary told the New York Times. “I’m not in the porn industry for the sex. I love being on camera. And running for governor, I got to be on camera with my clothes on.”