Over the last few days, Democratic challenger Derek Tran has taken the lead in his race against Rep. Michelle Steel.
The tightly contested campaign had drawn many millions of dollars into what devolved into a bitter and heated campaign.
Democrats attacked Steel as corrupt, while Tran was hit with attacks suggesting he was a Communist. It was nasty.
California’s policy decision to make it easier for more people to vote has meant longer processing times. It’s frustrating to be left waiting for counts, and we’re sure counts could be done quicker, but that’s a policy choice here in California.
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Right-wing media, amplified by Elon Musk on X, have taken to the trend toward Tran as evidence of corruption. “Rep. Michelle Steel had been leading by thousands of votes until today, and the Democrat challenger is now leading by *31 votes.* There is NO WAY. California is corrupt as hell,” declared Nick Sortor, whose tweet drew tens of millions of views. “This is INSANE. They’re BLATANTLY stealing the election in California!”
Sortor and other right-wingers might be confused that when votes get counted, the results may change over time to reflect counted votes. But unless there is actual, direct, tangible evidence of corruption or fraud, there’s nothing to see here.
In theory, Steel could still be in the running as votes are counted. It’s unlikely at this point given the trend of the votes, but the thing about elections in America is that they aren’t predetermined. If one is going to assert corruption, they should have some pretty good evidence beyond outcomes they don’t like.
If one really believes California rigged the election in the 45th congressional district specifically so Tran could be in the minority party in a GOP controlled federal government, that’s some 4D chess alright. Or, maybe that’s just kooky babble. We’ll go with the latter.