Overview
- On Friday, June 26, President Trump told a Faith & Freedom Coalition audience that Spencer Pratt should not “go away quietly” and called the Los Angeles primary “rigged,” urging Pratt to contest the result.
- Pratt led in early in‑person returns on Election Night but fell behind as large numbers of mail ballots were counted days later, with Nithya Raman ultimately overtaking him for the second runoff spot.
- Los Angeles election officials and the Associated Press have projected Karen Bass and Nithya Raman into the November runoff, and no public evidence has been produced showing widespread ballot manipulation in the primary.
- Federal authorities say they are conducting routine reviews of voter rolls and counts but have not confirmed fraud, while Pratt has posted a combative concession video saying he may reveal damaging material and signaled continued activism.
- California’s practice of counting ballots postmarked by Election Day over subsequent days often produces late shifts that favor candidates who rely on mail ballots, a counting dynamic that has drawn national attention and could lead to calls for audits or legal challenges.