Trump Questions Integrity of LA Mayoral Race Amid Vote Counting

President Donald Trump expressed concerns on June 8, 2026, regarding the integrity of the Los Angeles mayoral race, suggesting it was manipulated in favor of Democrats. His comments followed a decline in Republican candidate Spencer Pratt's lead as mail-in ballots were counted. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass secured the top spot in the primary, while Pratt was trailing progressive Councilwoman Nithya Raman by over 3,100 votes, with 27.1% of the ballots compared to Pratt’s 26.7%. Trump criticized California's ballot counting process, labeling the election as 'rigged' in a post on Truth Social. The Associated Press has not yet called the race, as 83% of ballots have been counted six days post-election. Similar concerns about election integrity were raised by Pratt and other Republicans, with Pratt noting a significant vote swing towards Raman since election night. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli commented on California's voter roll maintenance and called for transparency in the election process.