BREAKING: NEW Leader Declared in California After Ballots Counted Overnight
Republican Incumbent Josh Hoover Leads in California’s 7th Assembly District Primary
Republican incumbent Josh Hoover holds a lead in the primary election for California’s 7th Assembly District, according to results released by the California Secretary of State’s office. With ballots counted as of Wednesday afternoon, Hoover has received approximately 54 percent of the vote, while Democratic candidate Amy Slavensky has received about 44 percent.
The two candidates are expected to advance to the November general election. Hoover, who first won the seat in 2022 when it shifted from Democratic to Republican control, hosts the political podcast “Point of Order” and serves as a member of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus. He previously worked as chief of staff to former Assemblymember Kevin Kiley and resides in Folsom.
Slavensky, who came out of retirement to serve as interim deputy superintendent for the San Juan Unified School District, previously retired in 2021 as superintendent of the Amador County Unified School District.
Los Angeles Mayoral Race Update
In the Los Angeles mayoral primary, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass received 35 percent of the vote with roughly 62 percent of ballots counted as of Wednesday night. Independent candidate Spencer Pratt received approximately 29.9 percent, and Democratic City Council member Nithya Raman received 22.8 percent.
Bass did not reach the 51 percent threshold required to win outright, setting up a likely runoff in November between Bass and Pratt. No Republican has won the Los Angeles mayoral race in more than three decades. Pratt’s performance reflects voter dissatisfaction in portions of the city amid ongoing challenges with public safety and governance.
California election officials have indicated that counting all ballots in several closely watched races could take additional time, with some Democratic leaders stating it may require weeks to finalize results statewide.
Election Complaint in Los Angeles Race
Pratt filed a formal complaint Tuesday alleging that Mayor Bass violated California election law by engaging in electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot drop box. The complaint is based on a campaign video posted by Bass in which she appears to encourage voting while standing near a ballot box.
Under California law, candidates and campaign workers are prohibited from electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot drop box. Pratt stated in a social media post that the video demonstrates a disregard for election rules.
“Electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW. Soliciting votes at a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW,” Pratt wrote.
A spokesperson for Bass rejected the allegations, stating that the video was filmed in multiple locations and complied with election laws. One segment was recorded more than 200 feet from the ballot box, while another was filmed closer without campaign signs present, according to the spokesperson.
Pratt’s attorney has requested an investigation into the matter and submitted a similar complaint to state authorities. City and state officials have not yet announced whether they will open a formal review.
The results in both the Assembly District 7 race and the Los Angeles mayoral contest remain subject to additional ballot counting and potential challenges.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
