President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats of trying to influence the outcomes of California’s gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral primaries as vote counting continues across the state days after polls closed.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump criticized California’s lengthy vote-counting process and claimed Democrats were attempting to “steal” the elections from Republican candidates who are currently performing well in the preliminary results.
“The Dumocrats are at it again,” Trump wrote Thursday. “They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES.”
Trump’s comments came as election officials continued processing ballots from Tuesday’s primary elections. California’s vote count often extends well beyond Election Day because of the large number of mail-in ballots, signature verification requirements, and post-election audits required under state law.
County election officials have up to 30 days to complete the official canvass and certify results. California also allows vote-by-mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to arrive afterward, meaning final outcomes in close races can take days or even weeks to determine.
Trump also claimed federal authorities were looking into the delays.
“There’s big cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks,” he wrote in another post. “Under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why [is] the vote counting delay???”
It remains unclear who initiated any such investigation.
As of the latest available results, roughly 56% of ballots statewide had been counted. Republican candidate Steve Hilton, a former adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, was leading the California gubernatorial primary with 27.6% of the vote.
Hilton held a narrow advantage over Democrat Xavier Becerra, who trailed by about two percentage points. Billionaire investor Tom Steyer was running third despite reportedly investing more than $200 million of his own money into the race.
California’s primary system advances the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation. If Hilton maintains his position, he would move on to the November election.
Hilton has campaigned on lowering costs for California residents, including housing and gasoline prices, reducing income taxes, creating loan programs for first-time homebuyers, and freezing tuition at public colleges. He has also argued that Democratic leadership has contributed to many of the state’s challenges.
Despite his early lead, Republicans face significant electoral hurdles in California, where Democrats account for approximately 45% of registered voters compared with about 25% for Republicans.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles mayoral race remains unsettled as ballots continue to be counted.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has secured a spot in the runoff election, while former reality television personality Spencer Pratt currently sits in second place with 29.9% of the vote.
Progressive Democrat Nithya Raman remains within striking distance at 22.8%, leaving open the possibility that additional mail-in ballots could alter the standings before the final results are certified.
Political observers have noted that significant numbers of ballots remain uncounted, making it too early to rule out changes in the race.
“Don’t count Nithya Raman out yet,” Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA Luskin, told the Los Angeles Times. “Pratt has an edge … but it’s not free from doubt at this point.”
Trump has long been critical of mail-in voting. During previous election cycles, he repeatedly argued that widespread mail voting increases the risk of fraud, although election officials and courts have generally found little evidence of widespread voter fraud affecting election outcomes.
As California continues counting ballots, the final results of several high-profile races remain uncertain. Election officials are expected to continue releasing updated totals in the coming days and weeks before certifying the outcomes.
