California Governor Primary Undecided; Trump Alleges Fraud, Prosecutors Launch Investigation
U.S. President Donald Trump, without providing any evidence, claimed fraud in the California governor primary. A California federal prosecutor announced an investigation into the alleged irregularities. Vote counting is incomplete, and Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton is currently leading.
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- 📰 Published: June 6, 2026 at 15:42
- 🔍 Collected: June 6, 2026 at 15:54 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 15:55 (0 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Los Angeles, 5th, Combined Foreign Reports) U.S. President Donald Trump, without presenting any evidence, claimed that fraud occurred in the California governor primary. A California federal prosecutor said today that he is investigating allegations of fraud in this week's primary.
According to AFP, Trump, who previously alleged election fraud when trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat, has again questioned the integrity of ballots in this liberal state.
Trump complained yesterday that the California governor election ended on the 2nd, but two days after the election, there is still no clear result.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, appointed by Trump, said today that he will review the conduct of this vote.
Essayli wrote on social media: "California's election system has serious structural weaknesses. The widespread use of mail-in voting and the lack of voter ID verification make fraud difficult to detect or punish, thereby eroding public confidence."
"My office, in coordination with the (FBI), has initiated multiple election fraud investigations. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads and fully prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent of the law."
Currently, about two-thirds of the votes have been counted. Republican Steve Hilton, endorsed by Trump, is leading in the California governor primary, closely followed by Democrat Xavier Becerra. Another Democrat, Tom Steyer, is trailing by a few percentage points.
The top two candidates will advance to the November general election.
In the Los Angeles mayoral race, Republican Spencer Pratt is currently in second place and appears set to challenge Democratic incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a runoff, while a left-wing Democrat is in third place.
However, election officials say there are still many ballots to be counted in both races, and the outcomes remain unclear.
Trump strongly criticized California's process yesterday and effectively declared that his preferred candidate had won.
He posted on his social media platform, Truth Social: "They are trying to steal the California Governor Primary and the Los Angeles Mayor Primary, taking victory away from two great Republican candidates. We are encountering another wave of massive, late-arriving mail-in ballots."
California mails ballots to all registered voters, and they are valid as long as they are postmarked by election day. This means some ballots may arrive at counting centers days after polls close. (Editor: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150606
According to AFP, Trump, who previously alleged election fraud when trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat, has again questioned the integrity of ballots in this liberal state.
Trump complained yesterday that the California governor election ended on the 2nd, but two days after the election, there is still no clear result.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, appointed by Trump, said today that he will review the conduct of this vote.
Essayli wrote on social media: "California's election system has serious structural weaknesses. The widespread use of mail-in voting and the lack of voter ID verification make fraud difficult to detect or punish, thereby eroding public confidence."
"My office, in coordination with the (FBI), has initiated multiple election fraud investigations. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads and fully prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent of the law."
Currently, about two-thirds of the votes have been counted. Republican Steve Hilton, endorsed by Trump, is leading in the California governor primary, closely followed by Democrat Xavier Becerra. Another Democrat, Tom Steyer, is trailing by a few percentage points.
The top two candidates will advance to the November general election.
In the Los Angeles mayoral race, Republican Spencer Pratt is currently in second place and appears set to challenge Democratic incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a runoff, while a left-wing Democrat is in third place.
However, election officials say there are still many ballots to be counted in both races, and the outcomes remain unclear.
Trump strongly criticized California's process yesterday and effectively declared that his preferred candidate had won.
He posted on his social media platform, Truth Social: "They are trying to steal the California Governor Primary and the Los Angeles Mayor Primary, taking victory away from two great Republican candidates. We are encountering another wave of massive, late-arriving mail-in ballots."
California mails ballots to all registered voters, and they are valid as long as they are postmarked by election day. This means some ballots may arrive at counting centers days after polls close. (Editor: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150606
FAQ
What is happening in the California governor primary?
Trump has alleged fraud, and a federal prosecutor has launched an investigation. Vote counting is not yet complete.
Who is conducting the investigation?
The investigation is being led by Trump-appointed federal prosecutor Bill Essayli.
Who is currently leading?
Republican Steve Hilton is currently leading.