President Donald Trump accused Democrats of cheating in the Los Angeles mayoral primary after late-counted ballots moved City Council member Nithya Raman ahead of Republican Spencer Pratt for the second runoff position.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats of manipulating the Los Angeles mayoral primary after updated vote totals placed City Council member Nithya Raman narrowly ahead of Republican Spencer Pratt for the second spot in the November runoff against Mayor Karen Bass.
Trump raised the allegations late Sunday on Truth Social, warning that “great trouble and consternation will follow” if Democrats succeed in what he described as a “crooked” election.
“Has anybody been watching the CROOKED Election going on in California,” Trump wrote. “Two great Republican Candidates are being cheated, and so is America, which if the Dumocrats are able to fulfill their mission, great trouble and consternation will follow. Watch this ‘Election’ closely!!!”
Trump renewed his criticism Monday morning after sharing an X post from Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., who criticized California’s election system after vote totals shifted in the Los Angeles race.
“No way this could have happened. Rigged Election!” Trump wrote in a second Truth Social post.
Hamadeh had reposted a Decision Desk HQ projection showing Raman securing the second runoff position in the nonpartisan mayoral primary. He argued that California is “incapable of running free and fair elections” and called for federal oversight of the state’s elections.
According to projections, Raman has clinched a place in the November runoff against Bass. Bass leads the field with about 35% of the vote, while Raman holds a narrow advantage over Pratt.
Just over 3,000 votes separate Raman and Pratt as ballot counting continues.
Pratt, a conservative and former reality television star, held second place for several days after Election Day. Raman gradually overtook him as more ballots were processed.
The shift has renewed Republican criticism of California’s extended vote-counting system. Trump and other Republicans have questioned why late-counted ballots continue to change race outcomes after Election Day.
California law allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive at election offices within seven days. Election officials say the process is routine and reflects the state’s vote-by-mail system, under which every registered voter receives a mail ballot.
The Associated Press reported that Democrats tended to return ballots later in the voting period, a pattern analysts say helps explain why Bass and Raman gained ground as additional ballots were counted.
The controversy comes as the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced Friday that it had opened multiple election-fraud investigations related to California elections. The office also assigned a federal prosecutor to observe operations at the county vote-counting center.
County officials must certify final results by early July. Until then, thousands of ballots remain to be counted in a mayoral race that has drawn national attention because of Trump’s allegations, Pratt’s narrow loss of the second-place position and the ongoing scrutiny of California’s election procedures.
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