California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday night responded sharply to President Donald Trump's latest conspiracy-laden attack on last week's primary elections in the state. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump alleged without evidence that two candidates he endorsed were being 'cheated' as vote counting continues. Newsom fired back on social media, stating, 'There isn't a bigger sore loser in the country. Back to bed grandpa!'
Trump's History of Unfounded Fraud Claims
Trump has a long history of alleging voter fraud whenever he or his endorsed candidates do not win, dating back to the 2016 Iowa caucuses. After losing to Ted Cruz in Iowa, Trump claimed Cruz 'didn't win Iowa, he illegally stole it' and called for a new election or nullification of results. He has continued this pattern, most notably after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, and as recently as last week, he asserted that an 'honest count' would show he 'probably' won all 50 states in 2024.
California's Slow Vote Counting Process
California is known for its slow vote counting, largely due to its reliance on mail-in ballots. These ballots must be postmarked by Election Day but can arrive up to a week later and still be counted. So far, the results in last week's primary align with pre-election polls. In the race to replace Newsom, who is termed out and considering a 2028 presidential run, recent polls showed Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton, with Democrat Tom Steyer in third. Current standings reflect this, though Steyer could potentially overtake Hilton for second place.
In the nonpartisan Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Karen Bass has led most polls, with a tight contest for second place between Trump-backed reality TV star Spencer Pratt and city councilmember Nithya Raman. Pratt initially held second place but fell behind Raman as more votes were counted. Under California's 'jungle primary' system, the top two finishers in both races, regardless of party, will face off in November's general election.
