Los Angeles ? Gov. Gray Davis, taking a defiant stance in his first major address since the recall qualified for the statewide ballot, on Tuesday denounced the Oct. 7 vote as a Republican power grab and made no apologies for his record as governor.

In the address, televised statewide, the governor acknowledged that “we made our share of mistakes” handling the state’s energy crisis and budget deficit. But in asking for voters’ support, he sought to place the state’s troubles in the perspective of an American economy that has “tanked” and touted his record on education, health care, privacy protection, the environment and reproductive rights.

“The Republicans behind this recall say they want you to oust me for past mistakes,” he said. “My friends, they don’t give a rip about past mistakes. This is all about control in the future, seizing back the governor’s chair and believing with so many candidates running they can do it with just a handful of California voters.”

The speech at the University of California at Los Angeles came hours after Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the most prominent Democrat on the recall ballot, released his own plan to turn around the state’s economy, further complicating Davis’ fight to remain in office. Davis had sought to keep other Democrats off the ballot so he could focus on defeating the recall.

Bustamante has urged Californians to vote against the recall, but to choose him in case the governor is ousted.

Since the 2000-2001 energy crisis, Californians have witnessed the decline of the state’s technology sector and a record $38 billion budget deficit, which triggered the vehicle tax increase, forced college fees to rise as much as 30 percent and has threatened state employees with layoffs and pay cuts.

Davis sought to reassert himself in a campaign that has largely focused on Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and more than 130 other candidates seeking to replace him.

Davis also addressed criticism of his personal style, saying, “This is not going to shock you: I may not be the warmest TV personality in politics, but I am warming to this fight.”

Duf Sundheim, chairman of the California Republican Party, rejected Davis’ assertions. “To say that this is a right-wing conspiracy I think is an insult” to the 1.6 million people who signed petitions to force the recall, he said.

Bill Simon, a Republican who lost to Davis last year but is running again in the recall, said he was disappointed the governor did not take responsibility for the state’s problems.

“What we heard is it’s somebody else’s fault, it is a conspiracy, it is President Bush, it is the national economy, it is everything but Gray Davis himself,” Simon said.