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LOS ANGELES — Once considered a future presidential contender, Gray Davis was content to win re-election Tuesday as governor of the nation’s most populous state. 

Davis’ aspirations were rarely mentioned as he struggled to combat a steep decline in popularity to secure his re-election against a lackluster candidate. 

Despite spending $68 million and facing rookie Republican challenger Bill Simon, Davis barely held onto his lead. 

As he enters a second term, he faces a multibillion dollar budget shortfall and the remnants of a statewide energy crisis that drove down his support. 

Even Davis’ confidantes concede he likely won because of the amount he spent and because of Simon’s low popularity and controversies surrounding his business practices. 

“If you have a sitting governor whose job ratings tanked a year-and-a-half ago and have never recovered, and you have roughly half the people in the state who think the state’s headed down the wrong track, those two things combined are usually a death knell for a sitting governor,” said Davis’ senior campaign adviser Garry South. “We are going to win anyway, in spite of that. That’s what our money got us.” 

Davis blamed his declining popularity on a nationwide recession and a generally negative mood among voters. 

A man who rarely lets down his guard, Davis has marched through 20 years in elected office defined by moderate politics and rare and unbending personal and professional discipline. 

He insists on being kept abreast of state business, is preoccupied with his public image and guarded about personal activities. He often focuses on headline-making issues while brushing off smaller troubles until they swell into crises. 

On the eve of the election, Davis vowed a state takeover of the tiny West Fresno Elementary School District after a fiscal crisis led teachers and staff to walk out. Davis had previously vetoed legislation that would have authorized a takeover and averted the crisis. 

Davis finds supporters in a range of groups — from environmentalists to police unions. He is credited with boosting spending for schools and signing scores of laws from expanding health care for poor children to ensuring overtime pay after an eight-hour workday. 

Personally, Davis, 59, is not known for small talk and is meticulous in his appearance.