McCarthy Criticizes California’s Vote Count Process, Trump Claims ‘Big Cheating’

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is joining a growing chorus of Republicans criticizing California’s vote-counting process, warning that the state’s prolonged delays are damaging public trust in elections.

During an interview with John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on WABC 770 AM, the former Republican speaker from California echoed concerns raised by President Donald Trump and other conservatives over the state’s slow-moving primary results.

McCarthy said voters in California are “continuing to lose faith” as results from the state’s Tuesday primaries continue trickling in days after polls closed.

“In my years of growing up in California, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” McCarthy said on the “Cats & Cosby” show, expressing frustration with the pace of ballot counting.

“We just had an election, and you can’t tell me who won?” McCarthy added later. “It was on Tuesday, and they’re telling me it’s going to be another three weeks.”

California officials argue that finalizing results can take days or even weeks because of the state’s mail-ballot rules and post-election processing procedures.

Several high-profile races remain unresolved nearly a week after polls closed, including contests for California governor and Los Angeles mayor.

A key reason is California’s treatment of mail-in ballots.

State law allows mail ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received by county election offices by the following Tuesday, which in this case is June 9.

For conservatives, that extended window has become a symbol of what they call “election month,” where voters cast ballots on Election Day but outcomes can continue shifting long afterward.

California also uses a “jungle” primary system, where all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party.

The top two vote-getters advance to the general election, even if both candidates come from the same party.

In the governor’s race, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) has already advanced to November, while Trump-backed Fox News commentator Steve Hilton (R) and billionaire Tom Steyer (D) are battling for the second spot.

In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D) is waiting to see whether she will face Republican reality star Spencer Pratt or progressive City Councilmember Nithya Raman (D).

Raman recently moved ahead of Pratt after several days of additional ballot arrivals, fueling more Republican anger over late-counted mail ballots and shifting results.

The controversy comes as California Democrats are also facing unexpected problems with their newly passed congressional map.

After Texas moved forward with a mid-decade redistricting plan intended to help Republicans gain five additional House seats in the 2026 midterms, California Democrats responded with a congressional map of their own aimed at flipping five Republican-held districts.

California currently has 52 congressional districts, with Democrats holding 43 seats and Republicans holding just nine.

The goal of the new Democratic map was to reduce Republican representation even further, potentially cutting the GOP down to just four seats, or less than 8 percent of the state’s congressional delegation.

The redraw targeted five Republican-held districts: District 1, represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa; District 3, represented by Rep. Kevin Kiley; District 22, represented by Rep. David Valadao; District 41, represented by Rep. Ken Calvert; and District 48, represented by Rep. Darrell Issa.

But the results may not be unfolding the way Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats expected.

Democrats suffered a setback in the state’s 40th Congressional District after two Republican candidates captured the top two spots and advanced to the general election.

That outcome shuts Democrats out of contention for the seat entirely.

According to Decision Desk HQ results, Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) led the field with 35.68 percent of the vote, while Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) finished second with 21.12 percent.

The result sets up a Republican-versus-Republican general election in November.

The unusual matchup emerged after mid-decade redistricting placed Calvert and Kim in the same congressional district, forcing two incumbent Republicans into the same race.

Despite Democratic hopes that the redrawn map would help them pick up House seats, the 40th District result guarantees that a Republican will hold the seat regardless of the November outcome.

That denies Democrats a chance to flip the district and gives Republicans an unexpected bright spot in a state where the GOP has long struggled under heavily Democratic statewide conditions.

For Republicans, the two stories are connected.

California’s slow ballot counting is raising new questions about transparency and voter confidence, while Newsom’s redistricting strategy is already showing signs of weakness.

McCarthy’s warning reflects a broader conservative concern: elections should be fast, clear, secure, and trusted by voters.

Instead, California’s system has once again left voters waiting days or weeks for answers, while late-arriving ballots continue shaping major races after Election Day.

With President Trump and Republican leaders pushing for stronger election safeguards, California is likely to remain at the center of the national fight over mail voting, ballot deadlines, voter confidence, and election integrity.