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
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 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’
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!’
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.
Jill Biden says former president will live with stage 4 cancer ‘for the rest of his life,’ has slowed down
Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden gave an update on former President Joe Biden’s cancer on Saturday, saying that though the 83-year-old will live with cancer for the rest of his life, he maintains a busy schedule, but has slowed down. Biden explained during a discussion with political commentator and “The View” co-host Ana Navarro for her new book “View From the East Wing: A Memoir,” that while her husband was still president and had a team of doctors, she mentioned that he was getting up seven times a night to go to the bathroom, and she assumed that someone would follow up on that. But she said when they left the White House in 2025 and his problem persisted, she said she told him he had to go see a urologist and in his first appointment the doctor said, “There’s something there,” and the former president was given a CAT scan. “I never imagined it would be prostate cancer,” she admitted. “I just never imagined it.” MEDICAL EXPERT ‘ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED’ BY TIMING OF BIDEN’S PROSTATE CANCER DIAGNOSIS While she said in some cases prostate cancer can be “cured, “the problem with Joe — it’s stage four, and it has metastasized to his bones. So that puts things on a whole different level. I mean, Joe will have to live with cancer for the rest of his life, which means he’s on special medicines.” She said he also went through radiation, which involved going from where they live in Delaware to Philadelphia constantly for five weeks. “You know, it takes a toll,” she said, adding that on Friday night her husband was in South Dakota for a Democratic Party event, on Saturday he was at a friend’s wedding, and Sunday he’ll be in Philadelphia. BIDEN ‘A LITTLE OLDER AND A LITTLE SLOWER’ IN THE FINAL DAYS OF HIS PRESIDENCY: NEW YORK TIMES REPORT “He keeps his schedule, but he’s slowed down,” she said. “I mean, stage four cancer is — and he’s 83 — so, I think the mix of everything and the medications that he’s taken has made life a little more difficult these days.” BIDEN’S FIRST PUBLIC REMARKS SINCE CANCER DIAGNOSIS HONOR GOLD STAR FAMILIES When asked how she’s been handling the situation, Biden said: “It’s hard to be a caretaker,” noting that the former president wouldn’t want her to phrase it that way, but explaining that she’s the one responsible for all the details. “I have to make sure he gets the right medications,” she explained. “I’m the one talking to the doctors. I’m the one setting up the appointments. I’m the one to make sure that he eats well.” Joe Biden announced his cancer diagnosis in May 2025. Earlier this week, the former first lady told the “Today” show that her husband is “doing OK.” “He’s out making speeches, and he’s traveling on Amtrak,” she added. “He was just at the Delaware Memorial Bridge for the veteran’s ceremony. So yeah, he’s doing a lot, but he has stage 4 cancer.” JILL BIDEN REVEALS TO ‘THE VIEW’ IT WAS ‘HEARTBREAKING’ WHEN DEMS ABANDONED JOE AFTER 2024 DEBATE Biden and Navarro also talked about some other issues she wrote about in her book, including when the former president made the decision to drop out of the 2024 race after his disastrous debate in June 2024. She said he turned to her while they were at their home in Delaware and told her: “I have no choice.” BIDEN URGED TO REVEAL DISEASE HISTORY AFTER CANCER DIAGNOSIS Biden added that it was also “hurtful” to her when she saw Democrats, many of whom had been their friends for decades, publicly calling for Biden to drop out of the race. But she said Biden reconciled with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was believed to have been privately leading calls for him to leave the race, at the funeral for Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy, in January. The 75-year-old admitted that she still hasn’t spoken to Pelosi. She also said she believes there has been a “double standard” in the conversations around her husband’s age and mental acuity when compared to President Donald Trump, who will turn 80 on June 14. For the next president after Trump leaves office, Biden said she’s looking for someone with integrity, trustworthiness, and empathy, but didn’t name any names. “They’re the characteristics of the American people,” she said. “That’s who we are.”
Steve Hilton launches ad mocking Xavier Becerra’s ’36 years’ as a career politician in California gov race
California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton launched a new campaign ad Saturday targeting former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra, signaling the general election fight may already be underway even as primary ballots continue to be counted. The 55-second ad mocks Becerra’s lengthy political career and record in government, portraying the Democrat as a continuation of California’s political status quo. The ad features silent clips of Becerra appearing on an old-fashioned TV screen while captions flash across the screen, including: “I’ve been a career politician for 36 years. Vote for me.” Other captions reference issues likely to become central themes in the governor’s race, including homelessness, California’s high-speed rail project and Becerra’s tenure as secretary of Health and Human Services in former President Joe Biden‘s administration. HILTON, BECERRA, IN THE LEAD WITH VOTES STILL BEING COUNTED IN BATTLE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR The ad also attempts to tie Becerra to Gov. Gavin Newsom, ending with the message: “I’ll change nothing about how California is governed,” followed by the tagline, “Don’t watch another rerun.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Becerra and the Hilton campaigns for comment. The ad comes less than 24 hours after The Associated Press projected Becerra would advance to California’s November gubernatorial election to succeed the term-limited Newsom. CALIFORNIA ELECTION LIMBO FUELED BY 4 PRESSURE POINTS DRAGGING OUT VOTE COUNT, EXPERT SAYS As vote counting continued Saturday, Becerra led the field with 26.8% of the vote, according to AP totals. Hilton received 26.4%, while Democrat Tom Steyer had 21.1%. Roughly 68% of ballots had been counted as of Saturday afternoon. In a statement after the AP race call, Becerra celebrated the result and framed his campaign as a fight for California voters. XAVIER BECERRA PRESSED ON ‘RUMORS’ HE KNEW ABOUT ERIC SWALWELL’S ALLEGED MISCONDUCT DURING CA GOVERNOR DEBATE “The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly,” Becerra said. “We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we are never backing down. November, here we come.” Becerra’s campaign also said the result makes him the first Latino candidate to advance from a California gubernatorial primary to a general election, calling it a historic milestone for the state. If elected in November, Becerra would become California’s first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco, who briefly served as governor in 1875. Becerra, a former California attorney general, served as Health and Human Services secretary during the Biden administration before launching his gubernatorial campaign. Hilton, a former Fox News host and political commentator, has campaigned as a political outsider and agent of change, arguing California is headed in the wrong direction under Democratic leadership. Results from Tuesday’s primary have not yet been certified.
Pennsylvania AG explains why state leads nation in Medicaid fraud convictions while others battle mass schemes
Pennsylvania’s Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday detailed how his state has become number one in the country in convicting Medicaid fraudsters in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “As you know, in Pennsylvania we had the most Medicaid fraud convictions in the entire country last year. And the reason for that is because of how aggressively we investigate and prosecute these cases,” Sunday told Fox News Digital. “We have an absolute moral duty to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. And one of the ways we can do that is making sure that the resources that are meant to go to them actually get to them,” he continued. Amid a strong push from the White House to investigate and prosecute fraud nationwide — demonstrated through Vice President JD Vance’s White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — Medicaid fraud in particular has come into the spotlight. I’M OHIO’S STATE AUDITOR — MEDICAID FRAUD IS NOT JUST A WASHINGTON PROBLEM In May, Vance’s task force announced an indictment in a $46.6 million Minnesota Medicaid fraud scheme that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the “largest autism fraud bust in American history.” And as high-profile fraud busts involving foreign nationals in Minnesota, California and other blue states increasingly highlight the prevalence of social service scams, Sunday’s efforts in a purple state stand out especially. Key to Sunday’s nation-leading conviction rate, he told Fox News Digital, is the emphasis his office places on collaboration, including with his state’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro. “We collaborate on a lot of issues, and this is one of those issues that our offices do collaborate on. The State Inspector General’s Office works with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to make sure that we receive those complaints, and then we take them and we run with them,” Sunday explained. In 2025, HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) ranked Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit number one in total fraud charges filed against individuals, while ranking Pennsylvania number three in total fraud convictions for the fiscal year 2024. For fiscal year 2025, the OIG ranked Pennsylvania third in charges and first in total convictions, suggesting a marked improvement in conviction efficiency. “The reason why we are so successful and the reason the states that are successful are is because they’re working as a team together. This is much greater than any individual office,” Sunday told Fox News Digital. FINAL WALZ FRAUD REPORT RIPS ‘CULTURE OF TOLERANCE’ AS MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS FACE BILLIONS IN ALLEGED LOSSES “You have to work hard as an office. You have to collaborate with your federal partners, your local partners, your state partners. You have work with the different service providers. This has to be an all hands on deck effort where you collaborate and coordinate with everyone humanly possible. And that’s not just to get the successful prosecutions, but it’s to get their referrals. People have to know what to look for,” he continued. His collaborative efforts, combined with vigilance, have prevented Pennsylvania from falling into the same trap as Minnesota, which had the seventh most fraud convictions in 2025, according to the HHS-OIG. “The goal is to not let those criminal enterprises take root. That is the way that you have to do this to make sure that it doesn’t turn into a Minnesota. That’s how you have do it. You have to stay ahead of it. Every step of the way. You can’t ever let it grow. You have to watch it when it happens. And you have to make sure that you prioritize these cases, because as an AG, your time and efforts could go to a million different places. But when you’re like here in Pennsylvania, we are hyper focused on community safety,” Sunday said. SEC SCOTT BESSENT: HOW TO STOP FRAUD IN MINNESOTA—AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY He highlighted the need for collaboration, especially considering the cross-border and transnational efforts of many convicted fraudsters. The women convicted in the Minnesota autism fraud bust notably were sending millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained Medicaid payments back to their families in Kenya, prosecutors said. “Remember, criminal enterprises, they don’t care about borders and they don’t pick and choose what jurisdiction that they’re only going to stick to. And so collaboration can’t know borders either. So we work with other states. We work across the country with other AG’s offices. We do everything we can to identify these cases and then hold these actors accountable because what’ll happen is a lot of times these cases will span multiple states. And so if you have an organization or a criminal enterprise that is operating in one state, there’s a good chance they’re operating in another state as well. And so when we can come together and work as a team, that allows us to be able to have even greater impact.” Sunday praised Vance’s task force as a valuable focal point to catalyze statewide anti-fraud efforts. JD VANCE’S TASK FORCE FLAGS NEARLY $6.3B IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS GOING TO POTENTIALLY FRAUDULENT BUSINESSES “I’m very thankful for the Vice President. I’m thankful for Vice President Vance and for his efforts in bringing everyone together and to sort of create a hub and spoke model where we all can work together and collaborate because that’s the only way that these cases are gonna be solved,” Sunday said. He also highlighted cases his office had prosecuted in recent months as part of their efforts. “We had a huge conviction this year with the Broad Street Family Pharmacy in Philadelphia. And these are individuals that were billing Medicaid up to $12 million for expensive medications that oftentimes they didn’t even obtain, let alone give to someone who needed that medication to stay alive. And so those are the type of cases we have to really go after, because when they are making that much money, if we don’t get involved, if we didn’t investigate it, they’re just gonna keep doing it,” he told
Platner supporter Khanna calls Senate hopeful’s past relationships ‘toxic,’ but says he deserves ‘redemption’
BAR HARBOR, Maine – Graham Platner’s past relationships were “toxic and volatile,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California says of the Senate Democratic candidate aiming to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of this year’s most crucial ballot box showdowns. But Khanna, a progressive leader from California who along with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is backing Platner, argued in a Fox News Digital interview on Friday night that Platner is “taking accountability” for his past and “we need that redemption in this country.” Platner, the military combat veteran and oyster farmer who is considered the Democrats’ presumptive nominee ahead of Tuesday’s primary in Maine, has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now-covered up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations this week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. The candidate is arguably facing the roughest stretch to date of his campaign against Collins, in a race that is one of a handful across the country which will decide if the Republicans hold on to their slim Senate majority in this year’s midterm elections. THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Collins, returning to Maine on Friday after a busy week on Capitol Hill where she reached a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive vote in the Senate, was asked by reporters about the latest allegations facing Platner. “The allegations in the latest story are troubling,” Collins responded. “And I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer.” Collins, a moderate Republican who at times votes against President Donald Trump’s agenda, is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate in left-leaning Maine. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of a rally with Platner, progressive gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson and congressional contender Matt Dunlap, which was organized by Khanna, the congressman was asked if he was concerned the latest allegations could sink Platner’s campaign and hurt Democrats’ hopes of winning back the Senate. “I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that,” Khanna said. “I talked to Graham and he says he was at a very dark period, he had come back from two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantry man seeing violence and death. That doesn’t excuse it.” But Khanna added that Platner said “he really grew as a person when he came back to Maine and he was an oyster farmer and he found peace and he is ashamed of that period. To me that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives and we need that redemption in this country. And I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class.” ‘MAINE, YOU HAVE MY BACK’ – PLATNER BLASTS NEW ALLEGATIONS AS ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS’ AS HE THANKS SUPPORTERS After Christine Blasey Ford accused then-Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in 2018, Khanna tweeted, “I stand with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Brett Kavanaugh is not fit to sit on the Supreme Court. #BelieveSurvivors.” Back on home turf on Friday, the rally was held in this resort town next to Acadia National Park that is close to Platner’s hometown of Sullivan, Maine, the candidate thanked a large crowd of supporters for having his back and charged the incoming fire he’s facing is “politically motivated.” “When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth. Maine had my back,” Platner said at a rally. “Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false, false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back.” Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his multiple tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. And Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Platner is facing plenty of incoming political fire from Republican groups. A super PAC aligned with Collins has been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), in a social media post following Friday night’s rally, took aim at Platner, charging he’s “a fraud” “He’s preaching about living a small but decent life growing up in Maine. The truth? Graham Platner is an elitist whose parents sent him to boarding school in Connecticut and bought him a house,” the NRSC wrote. And the Republican National Committee (RNC) also targeted Platner. “Graham Platner says his violent and erratic past is being “weaponized” against him. Platner said he would rape someone to show his dominance and “rape was about power,” the RNC research team wrote on X, as it pointed to new allegations against the candidate. Platner, as he runs for the Senate, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class. “I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class,” Khanna told Fox News Digital. Platner is considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was
Top House Democrat says there’s ‘no way’ Platner didn’t know tattoo’s Nazi origins
A senior House Democrat is joining the growing chorus of critics questioning Senate candidate Graham Platner’s claim that he was unaware of his tattoo’s Nazi origins. “There’s no way he didn’t know what the tattoo was,” Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., said Friday in remarks reported by Punchbowl News. “Own it and move on.” “He’s not willing to do that,” Schneider, the chairman of House Democrats’ largest caucus, lamented. Schneider’s comments make him one of the most high-profile Democrats to criticize the Maine Senate hopeful, who has also faced mounting scrutiny over sending sexually-explicit messages to other women while newly married, a decades-long history of offensive social media posts and alleged abuse in previous romantic relationships. DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN SLAMS GRAHAM PLATNER’S NAZI-LINKED TATTOO AS ‘DISQUALIFYING’ Platner, a far-left populist, is vying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the most hotly contested races of November’s midterm elections. He is Maine Democrats’ presumptive nominee, though some party insiders have expressed doubts about the viability of his candidacy amid a string of scandals. Schneider’s public criticism came after The New York Times reported Thursday that several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends said the Senate hopeful knew about his tattoo’s Nazi-linked design. One of the women, Lyndsey Fifield, told The Times that Platner taught her the words behind the black skull-and-crossbones tattoo, referring to it as “my Totenkopf.” “He would joke about it being a Nazi tattoo,” Fifield said, adding that Platner said he chose the tattoo because of his belief that his unit shared similarities to the Nazi SS paramilitary forces. Platner vigorously denied Fifield’s account during an interview with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes on Thursday. But he struggled to answer when pressed about how Fifield sent a text to friends saying he had a Nazi-linked tattoo in August 2025, when he first publicly disclosed it two months later during an October podcast episode of “Pod Save America.” “How does she know it’s a Nazi tattoo in August of last year, and you don’t know it’s a Nazi tattoo in August of last year?” Hayes asked Platner. “I can’t say why,” Platner said, adding that he was not a recipient of Fifield’s message. “I certainly didn’t know, and the text messages she’s sending to friends may have recognized it. They didn’t tell me that.” Fifield also alleged that Platner assaulted her at one point during their relationship — an allegation that Platner said was false. GRAHAM PLATNER ACCUSER HITS NYT FOR ALLEGEDLY SOFTENING ALLEGATIONS, SAYS COVERAGE WAS ‘GIFT’ TO DEMOCRAT Platner has since had the tattoo covered up after it became a campaign issue in late 2025. He wore it for nearly two decades after he said he got it during a night of drinking with his fellow Marines while stationed in Croatia in 2007. Amid Democrats’ divisions over Platner’s candidacy, Schneider indicated that he would struggle to support him at the ballot box if he were a Maine voter. “I’ll leave it to the people of Maine to elect who they want,” he said, in remarks reported by Punchbowl News. “I’m grateful I don’t have to make that choice. I wouldn’t want to have to make that choice.” Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., have also sharply criticized Platner’s statements related to his since-covered-up tattoo. “All I’m saying is when I was growing up, if someone had a clear Nazi tattoo on them, you probably could conclude that they’re a Nazi sympathizer,” Fetterman told CNN earlier this week. “Are you going to continue to defend that or dismiss that?” Schneider’s New Democrat Coalition is the largest caucus among House Democrats, with more than 100 members. Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign before publication.