Washington state’s Republican Party is amplifying baseless claims that Los Angeles’ mayoral primary was stolen, using the California race to renew attacks on Washington’s vote-by-mail system.
The vote-fraud conspiracy theories, fueled by right-wing influencers after a former reality TV star failed to advance to the general election in Los Angeles, have drawn sharp criticism from election officials and a former state GOP chair, who said the party is recycling familiar fraud narratives without evidence.
It’s the most recent salvo in a broader campaign to undermine confidence in mail voting, particularly in Democratic-led states. In Washington, where GOP leaders have spent months questioning election procedures, officials warn the rhetoric echoes the falsehoods that followed the 2020 election and offers a preview of what could unfold in the 2026 midterm. As Trump and his allies confront likely losses in congressional races amid terrible approval ratings, critics say they are setting the stage to blame future defeats on fraud rather than voter rejection.
The latest conspiracy theories center on California’s slow vote-counting. Like Washington, California counts ballots postmarked by Election Day, often requiring several days before final results in close races are known.
Election-night results in Los Angeles showed Spencer Pratt, a conservative former reality TV star, potentially advancing past the primary to face Mayor Karen Bass. But as more ballots were counted, progressive...
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