The California gubernatorial election is dominated by two candidates, but there are four others on the ballot who do not receive enough attention and are hidden in the shadows of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Angelides.

There are many reports saying Schwarzenegger is in the lead and probably has the win in the bag. However, there is room for political debates, and there are other candidates on the ballot this November. They deserve as big a forum as the Democrats and Republicans to express their political agendas. Other candidates running for governor are getting the short end of the stick because we are going to be bombarded by political advertisements and propaganda from the Republican and Democrat nominees.

In one side of the ring this election season we have Schwarzenegger, who had a low approval rating, but has suddenly made a comeback. He has made efforts to appeal to Democrats with his environmental bills on clean air and pushing for a minimum wage bill that allowed same-sex couples to file joint state income tax returns. The governor is trying his hardest to earn that liberal California vote and he has pulled on our most sensitive heartstrings: the environment, education, and same-sex marriage.

However, if we really are looking for someone who cares about the environment, then it would make sense to take a look at the Green Party candidate, Peter Miguel Camejo. The Green Party typically garners 3 percent of the votes but perhaps it’s time that we took another look at what they have to offer. Camejo has a significant amount of political experience and has been involved with the women’s movement and campaigns for gay and lesbian rights. He is a candidate who is more qualified than Schwarzenegger, but he will probably come trailing in third.

The other three candidates, Art Olivier, Libertarian, Edward C. Noonan, American Independent, and Janice Ellen Jordan, Peace & Freedom were difficult to even find information on because they are rarely in the press. This shows that there simply is not enough coverage of the other candidates and it leaves voters uninformed of their other options.

As for the democratic ticket, Angelides is in the other corner and he has not learned the fine art of political manipulation. In a desperate attempt to gain attention he said that if he were elected he would work on bringing California National Guard members home from Iraq. Angelides’ is going to have to work a little harder to catch the public’s eye because right now the Democrats are showing very little enthusiasm and it’s going to cost them at the polls.

While we may not buy into either dominant candidate there are four other people running in this election that simply do not receive the same amount of attention. Every year it’s the same scenario of Democrats versus Republicans and it is discouraging to see the political sphere limited to two parties. This can have a detrimental effect on the democratic process because one of the purposes of voting is to be able to choose from a pool of qualified politicians.

It is time that we start looking at the wide spectrum of nominees this election before we blindly cast a vote based on party affiliation. There are several alternatives worth exploring this election season and if we know what they are then we will be making ourselves a better informed public capable of making responsible political decisions.