ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Former Gov. Pete Wilson on Saturday urged his fellow Republicans not to make light of a recall drive against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He told delegates at the California Republican Party's fall convention that they should take the threat from the state prison guards union seriously, even if it isn't likely to succeed.

"I hope that I don't have to tell you what an ill-considered idea that is. We did it once; we did not do it lightly," he said, referring to the 2003 recall of former Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, an election that sent Schwarzenegger to Sacramento. "It is something that should not be taken lightly. It is an extreme measure."

A conservative wing of the state GOP was scheduled to vote later Saturday on whether to endorse the recall campaign.

In his lunchtime speech to about 250 delegates, Wilson did not directly address the rift between the politically moderate Schwarzenegger and others in his party. Schwarzenegger also avoided the topic during brief remarks to about 300 party members and supporters Friday night.

The governor's unpopularity with the most conservative Republicans grew this summer after he proposed a temporary increase in the state's sales tax to help close what was then a $15.2 billion deficit. Wilson was critical of the tax plan, as were Republicans in the state Legislature who successfully fought the effort.

That proposal particularly rankled rank-and-file Republicans, California Republican Assembly president Mike Spence said earlier this week.

"We're talking about a core, central policy that has united the party, taxes, and the governor went back on his word," Spence said.

He said frustration with Schwarzenegger within the party's base was widespread. That's partly because he has failed to implement many of the government reforms he promised when taking office, Spence said, pointing to the budget deficits that continue to plague the state.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association filed formal notice of its effort to recall Schwarzenegger earlier this month. The union criticized Schwarzenegger for what it called "catastrophic leadership failings and inept management" since he took office.

One of the motivations for the recall against Davis was his deal giving prison guards a 37 percent pay raise after he had accepted $2.6 million in campaign donations from the union.

Schwarzenegger has not taken money from the prison guards and has called its recall drive a political ploy designed to pressure him to give into the union's demands during contract negotiations. The guards union has been without a contract for two years.

After his address, Wilson told reporters there always will be disagreements with a governor, but a recall should be reserved for "serious dereliction of duty."

"It's something that you do on a really extreme provocation," he said.

Wilson also urged Republicans to support Proposition 11, a Schwarzenegger-backed redistricting initiative on the November ballot.

It would take authority for drawing state Assembly and Senate districts away from the Legislature and give it to an independent commission.

The party declined to endorse the proposition at its spring meeting. On Saturday, a resolutions committee opted not to make a recommendation to the full membership, which meets Sunday.

Proposition 11 is the only one of the 12 November ballot measures on which the committee did not take a position. The party has had an internal debate about whether the redistricting reforms are tough enough.

The initiative has support from an array of good-government and advocacy groups, including AARP, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and the ACLU of Southern California, some of which are disliked by Republicans. Wilson said Republicans should not let that cloud their judgment about the need for redistricting reform.

"Admittedly, it has strange roots -- organizations with whom I have not been closely associated. They are, to put it mildly, liberal," Wilson said in his Saturday address.

He called Proposition 11 "convoluted and complex," but better than the alternative of letting the Democratic-controlled Legislature create gerrymandered districts, which are redrawn after each census.

Redistricting is a top priority for Schwarzenegger, who is co-chairman of the campaign with former state controller Steve Westly, a Democrat.

An earlier Schwarzenegger attempt at redistricting reform failed in 2005, but the governor says it is fundamental to overcoming Sacramento's political dysfunction. He says the current system allows lawmakers to create districts that are safe for both parties, essentially eliminating competition and sending only the most partisan Republicans and Democrats to the Capitol.

Wilson also used his address to draw parallels between Republican presidential nominee John McCain and former President Ronald Reagan, another former California governor.

He said McCain demonstrated leadership and a strong command of foreign policy during Friday night's presidential debate. Wilson predicted that would help the Arizona senator win over so-called "Reagan Democrats" who voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

"I think they just chose the lesser of the evils, and in November they're going to be presented with the opportunity to make a much better choice, and I think they will," Wilson said.

Former Republican presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will address the gathering Saturday night. He recently bought real estate along the Southern California coast but said he has no plans to run for office in California.

Saturday night's other featured speaker, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, does have such designs. He has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor in 2010 and this week announced endorsements from seven former state GOP chairmen.