California was governed by a right-wing Republican, Pete Wilson, when AA in the UC system was banned. Same time period that the 3-strikes law and energy dergulation was passed. The main pusher was Ward Connerly, a libertarian Republican on the University of California board of regents who is a long-time anti-AA activist, along with Republican politicians and libertarian groups. It was opposed by all the major Democratic politicians as well as the ACLU, SCLC, NAACP, NOW, National Rainbow Coalition, American Jewish Congress, Asian Law Caucus, Latino Civil Rights Network.
In exit polls, the repeal of AA was supported by 77% of conservatives, 52% of moderates, and 27% of liberals. 61% of men and 48% of women. 63% of white voters, 26% of black, 24% of latino, 39% of asian. 62% of protestants, 54% of catholics, and 42% of jews.
It looks like yet another issue where all those conservative white protestants you roll around on the matt with were the primary problem.