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Spencer Pratt’s runner-up edge over Democrat Raman down to 1%, few thousand ballots

Spencer Pratt’s runner-up edge over Democrat Raman down to 1%, few thousand ballots

Spencer Pratt’s independent bid to make the Los Angeles mayoral runoff hangs in the balance nearly a week after Election Day. With the jungle primary leaving incumbent Democrat Mayor Karen Bass already ruled to have advanced to a November runoff, Pratt’s margin over Democrat City Councilmember Nithya Raman has slimmed to just 1% with a few thousand ballots left to make up the difference. Pratt led Raman by just 7,494 votes in the latest AP elections tally with 78% of the vote counted to date. Bass remained in first place with 235,180 votes (34.8%), while Pratt had 184,596 votes (27.3%) and Raman had 177,102 votes (26.2%). Los Angeles County continues to count ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Tuesday, June 9, drawing the attention of the Republican National Committee. The election results must only be counted within 30 days and certified by July 10. CALIFORNIA’S SLUGGISH VOTE COUNTING RIPPED ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM: ‘EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING’ “The California primary ended on June 2, 2026; yet California is still counting ballots,” the RNC website tracker counting the seconds since polls closed reads. “The state’s election system is a complete joke. The RNC is tracking every hour it takes California to finish the count.” The latest ballot update gave Raman another boost, as she picked up 23,514 votes in the latest batch, more than double Pratt’s 10,336-vote gain. That cut Pratt’s lead by 13,178 votes in a single day and pushed the contest for second place into uncertain territory. Pratt posted a meme to X decrying the ongoing ballot count in the race. “Me trying to figure out how votes get counted in LA,” he wrote Saturday night. Under California’s top-two primary system, if no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election. The AP reported that Bass advanced to the runoff after finishing first in the crowded mayoral primary, while Pratt and Raman continued battling for the remaining November spot. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pointed to California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom when discussing the delayed results. “The question to the rest of the world is what happened to California elections? Well, I’ll tell you, it’s Gavin Newsom,” McCarthy told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “When Gavin Newsom was elected governor of California, you knew who was elected in a day to two days. Now it takes more than weeks, almost a month.” “Why did we get here?” McCarthy continued. “Gavin changed a number of election laws in which you want to see is what did he do and why did he cause it?” WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE The slow count has drawn heightened attention because later-counted ballots have steadily cut into Pratt’s lead. Longtime Democrat strategist Michael Trujillo told The California Post on Saturday that the trend pointed to a likely runoff appearance for Raman, calling the late ballot counting “normal” for California and telling critics to “go back to where you came from.” “I was always a little jealous of east coast elections getting so much attention in the media and on this app, yeah nevermind,” he wrote on X. “The stupidity from these out of state analysts and reporters and the bots and fake accounts it brings to what is really a very NORMAL process happening in Los Angeles and California is annoying. “Go back to where you came from, thanks.” SPENCER PRATT SEIZES ON HOMELESSNESS REMARKS BY KAREN BASS, BLASTS DEMOCRAT FOR FAILURES Conservatives on X are decrying the probability of Pratt being shut out of the runoff. “Spencer Pratt is likely going to be overtaken by far left Nithya Raman today,” Robby Starbuck wrote on X. “This graph shows the count on Election Day through last night. “Nithya did this by suddenly winning 1st in every new ballot drop. “North Korean ‘elections’ have more self respect. Even they’d find it absurd for 3rd to suddenly jump to 1st place in every ballot drop DAYS after an election. It’s just ludicrous.” That post also brought the attention of X owner Elon Musk. “The reason ID is banned in California (and New York) elections is to enable large-scale fraud,” Musk claimed on X, replying to Starbuck’s post. “When you combine no ID and mail-in voting, fraud is de facto legalized.” SCOTUS CONSERVATIVES SIGNAL READINESS TO CURB LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS Starbuck noted the historic run Raman’s count has made. “ChatGPT can’t find a single example of a 3rd place candidate surging, days AFTER Election Day, to overtake 2nd place,” he wrote Sunday morning. “It couldn’t find 1 example in all of American history. That’s what’s happening with Nithya Raman & Spencer Pratt. “Los Angeles has 3rd world country elections.” Democrats merely point back to an overwhelming edge in registered Democrat voters versus Republicans, even if Pratt is running as an independent. “IF SOMETHING CAN BE EXPLAINED BY A CONVOLUTED CONSPIRACY THEORY—OR SIMPLE MATH—THEN MATH ALWAYS WINS,” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote on X. “LA Registered Voters. Approximate number of Dems: 1,224,737 Approximate number of Republicans: 326,292.” RNC RAILS AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S LATE MAIL-IN BALLOT COUNTING AMID NATIONAL LITIGATION: ‘IT IS ABSURD’ Americans “want to see election integrity,” McCarthy told host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. “They want to see transparency and they want to see timely reporting: We had that in California,” McCarthy, a former Republican House member in the deep-blue state, said. “We were very liberal in the rules about absentee ballots, but we had accountability.” “We had cut off voter registration 30 days before the election. That helps the registrars to know who’s going to vote and the candidates,” he continued. “Now we have same day voter, and you don’t have to show ID. Gavin changed the rules where he mails ballots to everyone. So he took away the choice to Californians to vote in person or to vote absentee. Everybody gets mailed a ballot. But he didn’t clean up the rolls. So that raises

Maine GOP hopeful vying for Trump endorsement previously ran birthing clinics catering to migrant women

Maine GOP hopeful vying for Trump endorsement previously ran birthing clinics catering to migrant women

Jonathan Bush, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Maine who has been vying for President Donald Trump’s endorsement ahead of this week’s June 9 primary, previously ran a network of birthing clinics in the San Diego County area that often catered to migrant women, a Fox News Digital review found. “Here we were, the largest obstetric practice in San Diego County and our business was mostly Medi-Cal, the state welfare program, and migrant workers. We needed their business and even appealed to them with Spanish-language ads on local TV,” Bush, who was referring to Athena Women’s Health, commonly known at the time as Athena Health, recounted in Where Does it Hurt? — a 2014 book he co-authored. At its height, Athena Health helped give birth to thousands of children, according to Bush, who opened a network of birthing clinics with his business partner, Todd Park, who would go on to serve years later as the chief technology officer during the Obama administration. “We actually owned a birth center. And at the height, we were doing 3,000 babies a year,” Bush told the audience on the Venture Fizz Podcast in 2022. “If you multiplied our monthly run rate, maybe 3,300. So really big, prosperous, not prosperous. A lot of low-income families with very low couldn’t, not on Medicaid, had to pay cash, migrant laborers, all kinds of people.” FED AUDIT, EMERGENCY MEDICAID U.DERCUT DEMS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTH COVERAGE Bush’s resurfaced comments about his business raise questions about whether he had knowingly helped women, who may not have been American citizens, secure U.S. citizenship for their children through birthright citizenship and come as he wages a campaign to become the Republican nominee for governor in Maine. When pressed by Fox New Digital with questions about Athena’s work with immigrants, the Bush campaign pushed back, arguing that Athenahealth had never offered birthing services and that, as a healthcare software company, it would have been illegal to provide them.  “To distract from his flailing campaign, 25-year DC lobbyist Bobby Charles continues to lie about my record of creating hundreds of Maine jobs,” Bush said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Ironically, Lobby Charles – who lied about his military service – lobbied for a liberal pro-illegal immigrant, pro-gun control, pro-birthright citizenship California Democrat Attorney General. Here’s the truth without the Lobbyist Lies: athenahealth/Athena Women’s Health provided software, billing, and management services to 116,000 American doctors.”  “They have never provided any medical services of any kind. And as I’ve said consistently, I agree with President Trump — illegal immigrants should be deported,” Bush, a first cousin to former President George W. Bush, added. While Bush’s statement about Athenahealth not providing medical services with birthing clinics is accurate, the failed venture, Athena Health, that Bush was initially involved with for less than 2 years was operating birthing clinics. “Our new company started out with twelve clinics scattered through San Diego County,” Bush said in his 2014 book, referring to Athena Health. “The six doctors and thirty-five midwives were doing two thousand births a year. The midwives were all Latinas. They were warm and friendly and supportive, just what our business plan called for.” A 2005 profile piece also reveals the early days of their main birthing clinic, where they were “listening to the urgent and beautiful sounds of a baby’s first gulps of air from the birthing room nearby.” “Jonathan Bush and Todd Park sat in their offices in a San Diego birthing clinic in 1997, listening to the urgent and beautiful sounds of a baby’s first gulps of air from the birthing room nearby. The cries were music for the two fresh-faced former Booz Allen Hamilton health-care consultants, 28 and 24, respectively, who had decided they’d learned enough to run a physician’s clinic better and more efficiently than the doctors could,” the article reads.  The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity also describes Bush’s work with Athena as a “birthing clinic in San Diego.”  GOP GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL BLASTED BY CRITICS FOR ‘LYING’ ON STAGE ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HIRES It’s unclear what portion of his clients were migrant women. But from his own comments, the volume appears to have been a significant volume of business. “‘All migrants all the time.’ It was a laugh line for us, but not a very funny one. This was not the thriving business we envisioned. We were hemorrhaging money,” Bush said in his book. “A lot of low-income families had to pay cash — migrant laborers, all kinds of people,” he continued. Bush, who has been a healthcare technology entrepreneur for decades and is best known for co-founding Athenahealth, a cloud-based software and services company marketed to medical practices, has touted this experience on the campaign trail. “I’ve made my career disrupting the status quo, creating jobs and helping people achieve their American dream,” Bush, who announced his candidacy for governor in October, said in an announcement video. During his race, he has positioned himself as a Maine-first candidate, promising to make Maine more of a destination state for businesses and investors by cutting taxes, auditing local government, and increasing energy supplies by tapping into natural gas reserves. While he has distanced himself from the MAGA wing of the Republican Party on some issues, he recently told Fox News that “everybody wants endorsements, a giant endorsement like Donald Trump would be phenomenal. He’s held off. This is a purple state…we’d love one.” Although he has leaned heavily on his business experience to make his pitch to voters, his top GOP opponent, Bobby Charles, believes his birthing clinics and the pitch to migrant women goes against the pro-America, pro-Maine message he’s pitching now. “It is not surprising to hear Bush now may also have been involved in facilitating illegal immigration. The contrast couldn’t be clearer. I am a pro-Trump conservative who will remove illegals out of the state and ban sharia law. Jonathan ‘Never Trump,’ Bush simply can’t be trusted to do what most Mainers want,” Charles said in a

Florida and Texas are battling for new residents. DeSantis thinks he found an advantage

Florida and Texas are battling for new residents. DeSantis thinks he found an advantage

Florida and Texas have for years attracted Americans feeling high-tax, high-cost states with an absence of personal income tax and business-friendly policies. Now, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is betting that reducing property taxes could become the Sunshine State’s next competitive advantage. The stakes extend well beyond Florida. The competition for new residents translates directly to political influence, with population growth affecting everything from congressional representation to Electoral College votes. TAX-WEARY AMERICANS FLEE BLUE STATES FOR REPUBLICAN-LED SOUTHERN HAVENS As Americans continue relocating to southern states in search of affordability amid a bubbling economic crisis, the latest proposal in Florida could become a test of whether low-tax states can further widen their advantage over higher-tax rivals. Supporters argue it would strengthen Florida’s appeal to homeowners, retirees and businesses while giving it a new edge over competitors like fellow red state Texas. Critics counter that any tax savings must eventually be offset through spending cuts, higher fees or alternative revenue sources, making Florida a potential case study in both the promise and the pitfalls of aggressive tax reduction. The governor is backing a constitutional amendment that would dramatically expand Florida’s homestead exemption, potentially lowering tax bills for millions of homeowners. Under the proposal, Florida’s existing $50,000 homestead exemption would increase to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. In practice, the exemption reduces the portion of a home’s value that is subject to taxation, lowering the tax bill for qualifying homeowners. For homeowners, that could translate to meaningful tax savings. For local governments, however, it would mean collecting substantially less revenue from one of their largest funding sources. That tension between tax relief and government funding is at the heart of the debate. THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND State analysts estimate the measure could reduce local government revenue by more than $8.4 billion annually, raising questions about how cities and counties would make up the difference. Backers say the proposal would provide relief to homeowners at a time when many Floridians are grappling with rising housing costs, insurance premiums and inflation. Critics, however, warn that property taxes help fund many of the local services residents rely on every day. “While the idea of eliminating the property tax sounds appealing, it’s important to remember the local services those tax dollars provide,” Nicole Fox, a policy analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “The quality of a community’s schools and roads, as well as the safety of a community, are important both for quality of life and contributing to the value of one’s home,” she added. Fox noted that the proposal would eventually eliminate roughly 36% of homestead property taxes and argued that a reduction of that magnitude would likely require some form of replacement revenue. AMERICANS KEEP MOVING TO TEXAS AND FLORIDA — BUT ONE OTHER RED STATE IS GROWING EVEN FASTER “When you are talking about 36% of homestead property taxes eventually being eliminated, there must be a plan for at least some degree of revenue replacement,” Fox said. “Currently that plan is unknown.” Fox, who recently co-authored a Tax Foundation analysis of the Florida proposal, argued the measure could shift the tax burden onto businesses, renters and property owners who do not qualify for the homestead exemption. “It would do so through less stable revenue sources that could alter consumer behaviors and negatively impact businesses, as well as shift the burden to those who do not qualify for the homestead exemption,” Fox said. ONE SOUTHERN CITY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IS GROWING FASTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA Florida already has “a very competitive tax structure,” Fox added, but warned that “this drastic restructure risks significant uncertainty and economic harm.” Whether voters ultimately embrace the proposal remains an open question. The constitutional amendment must receive support from at least 60% of voters to take effect. If approved, supporters argue it could cement Florida’s status as one of the nation’s most attractive destinations for homeowners and businesses, potentially giving it a new advantage over competitors like Texas and South Carolina. If critics are right, however, the proposal could become a test case for whether billions of dollars in property tax relief can be delivered without shifting costs elsewhere. Either way, the debate unfolding in Florida is being watched closely as states compete for residents, businesses and investment in an increasingly mobile America.

WATCH: Mace says Trump’s endorsement hasn’t sealed SC gubernatorial race: ‘It’s a dog fight’

WATCH: Mace says Trump’s endorsement hasn’t sealed SC gubernatorial race: ‘It’s a dog fight’

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital ahead of Tuesday’s South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary that President Donald Trump’s endorsement has done little to boost her opponent’s standing with conservative voters, arguing that many grassroots Republicans are “very upset” with the decision. “It’s not going over well for her with the grassroots, which is why she didn’t get much of a bump,“ Mace said. “She got maybe a five point bump — not much.” “And she’s going to be in a runoff and I think at that point all bets are off.” Mace was referring to South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, whom Trump endorsed last week, as Mace and Trump have publicly broken in recent months. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN FIREBRAND NANCY MACE LAUNCHES BID FOR SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR “It’s a dog fight,” Mace said. “We’re in it and I’m gonna fight to the death.” Mace shared that she wasn’t shocked when Trump chose not to endorse her because of her vote in Congress to push for the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “I knew it was on the line when I voted to release the Epstein files, and I’m a survivor,” Mace said. “If the price to pay for an endorsement was to not release those files, I would never pay it.” Mace was one of four Republicans to sign a petition last year to force a vote in the House on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation that urged the Department of Justice to publish all its information on its probe into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell — millions of documents. NANCY MACE TORCHES CLEMSON UNIVERSITY OVER 15-GENDER MENU: ‘NOT ON MY WATCH’ Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary was also in favor of South Carolina’s current term-limited governor, Henry McMaster, who has also endorsed Evette as his potential successor. Trump wrote that he expected Evette would choose the current governor’s son, Henry McMaster Jr., as her lieutenant governor. “Pam Evette is a good friend, fighter, and WINNER, and will be a terrific Governor of South Carolina,” the president posted. “Pam has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump’s endorsement came days before the June 9 primary and as early voting was getting underway in South Carolina. MACE TARGETS SQUAD DEM WITH PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON FOREIGN-BORN LAWMAKERS Tuesday’s crowded Republican primary field includes Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., businessman Rom Reddy and Mace. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff — a situation Mace predicted could reshape the race despite Trump’s backing of Evette. “I disagree with this endorsement,” Mace said. “And I’m going to vote for myself. I’m asking voters in South Carolina to vote for me as well on Tuesday.“

GOP firebrand lashes out at reporter over Massie allegation: ‘F— you, first of all!’

GOP firebrand lashes out at reporter over Massie allegation: ‘F— you, first of all!’

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., cursed out a Fox News Digital reporter after he began asking about allegations of a sexual relationship between her and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that were recently raised by a woman identifying herself as Massie’s ex-girlfriend. “F – – – you, first of all!’ Boebert said to a Fox News Digital reporter when bringing up claims from Massie’s alleged ex-girlfriend. “If you’re gonna bring me into this, like, the sexist stuff is like out of control,” she continued. “So there’s your clickbait that you were looking for.” FIVE TIMES NANCY PELOSI LOST HER COOL WITH THE MEDIA Boebert then declined to discuss the allegations further. The exchange came after Boebert had been discussing President Donald Trump’s efforts to unseat Republican incumbents and Massie’s political future. The former congressional staffer Cynthia West, who previously worked for Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., accused Massie of bragging to her about an alleged sexual encounter with Boebert within weeks of his wife’s death. West also accused Massie of offering her $5,000 to drop a wrongful termination lawsuit she was pursuing against Spartz, an ally of Massie. The allegations surfaced just a week before Massie lost his House seat in the May 19 Republican primary. “I don’t want to talk about anybody’s exes and their crazy s– – – that they do,” Boebert said to the reporter. Before the exchange turned contentious, Boebert was answering questions about whether Trump’s strategy of backing primary challengers against Republican incumbents is backfiring on the GOP agenda. MTG SAYS GOP’S FUTURE ‘DESTROYED’ AFTER TRUMP-BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGER DEFEATS THOMAS MASSIE IN PRIMARY “I think most of the folks that have lost their primaries, they were backfiring on the GOP agenda — Cassidy, Cornyn,” Boebert replied. “I mean, obviously Thomas Massie is the only one that I’m a little sad about,” she said.  Boebert was also asked about Massie’s recent announcement that he is filing for re-election in 2028. Many are speculating that Massie could make a 2028 presidential run as he said he is unsure which position he will be seeking re-election for. “I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run,” he wrote in a post on X announcing his re-election filing with the Federal Election Commission.   TRUMP CALLS OUT REP THOMAS MASSIE: ‘KENTUCKY, GET THIS LOSER OUT OF POLITICS’ TUESDAY Boebert shared that she was unsure of Massie’s next move, before she reprimanded the reporter for shifting the conversation to allegations raised by West. “He filed for something,” she said. “He didn’t specify what and I don’t know if he’s going to move forward with that or not. I don’t know.” “Hopefully he leaves here and makes some money,” Boebert added. Moments later, the reporter began asking about the allegations from Massie’s alleged ex-girlfriend, prompting Boebert’s expletive-laced response. Boebert declined to discuss the allegations further and walked away from the interview.