As ballot counting continues in California’s primary, President Trump claims Democrats are “cheating” in key races. Candidates and officials say otherwise.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With votes still being counted after Tuesday’s primary election in California, President Donald Trump accused state Democrats of cheating in the governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral contest.
In posts late Wednesday on Truth Social, Trump alleged democrats are trying to steal the primaries away from two great Republican candidates. Trump also alleged delays in counting mail-in ballots, claiming the races were “under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.”
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ABC10 reached out to the office of First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. A spokesperson said, “No comment.”
As of Thursday evening, with 59% of the estimated vote counted, The Associated Press shows Steve Hilton leading the gubernatorial field with 27.2% of the vote, followed by Xavier Becerra with 26% and Tom Steyer with 20.2%. The top two candidates will advance to the November general election.
Hilton, speaking to reporters Thursday in San Francisco, criticized the pace of the vote count.
“It is a complete disgrace that now, nearly two days after the election, barely just over half the votes have been counted,” Hilton said.
When asked whether he believed there was wrongdoing, Hilton said his campaign is monitoring the situation.
“We’re watching everything very closely. Our team is on top of everything. We’ve got lawyers standing by if needed. At this point, we haven’t seen any need to intervene in that way, but we are very frustrated,” he said.
Becerra pushed back on social media, writing that Trump is “trying to undermine confidence in our elections,” adding that “the voters decide who leads California.”
Steyer also responded on social media, writing that California “counts every ballot” and thanked voters for their patience.
California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks called Trump’s claims baseless in a statement to ABC10, saying in part that “Everyone knows California will complete a fair and accurate count. End of story.”
On Thursday, California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber reminded voters that ballot counting can take up to 30 days after the election.
“Accuracy comes before speed,” said Secretary Weber. “California is the nation’s largest voting state, with millions of ballots to process and count. Taking the time to do this work correctly protects voters’ rights and ensures the integrity of our elections. California has built a strong system that expands access, empowers voters, and ensures more Californians can fully participate in our democracy.”
The California Secretary of State’s Office says under a new law, effective this year, counties are required to count and report most ballots by June 15, 2026.
County elections officials must report their final results to the Secretary of State by July 3, 2026. The Secretary of State will certify the results by July 10, 2026.
Watch more: California’s late ballots could shake up the governor’s race
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