In the race for California's U.S. Senate seat previously held by Dianne Feinstein, Katie Porter, a Democratic member of Congress, is facing backlash for her comments stating that the system to select candidates in the race was "rigged." Porter, who finished third in the primary election, took to social media to express her concerns about the influence of donors supporting her opponent, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

Porter's statement on social media suggested that donors supporting Schiff had used their financial resources to manipulate the election. She thanked her supporters for standing up against the establishment and claimed that the race had been heavily influenced by millions of dollars from billionaires.

However, the notion of the election being rigged was met with skepticism by political figures and fact-checking organizations. Sen. Alex Padilla, California's former chief elections officer, dismissed the claim as "ridiculous" and emphasized the integrity of the state's electoral process. Politifact.com, a well-known fact-checking website, labeled Porter's claim as false, stating that outside funding is legal and does not equate to manipulating the results.

Porter clarified her remarks, explaining that she did not allege that the vote count or the election process was rigged. Instead, she argued that the use of big dark money by wealthy donors was manipulating the political landscape. She made it clear that she believed the state's election process itself was "beyond reproach."

In the primary election, Schiff emerged as the frontrunner, earning 33.2% of the vote, closely followed by former Dodgers player Steve Garvey with 32.4%. Porter secured a distant third place with 13.8% of the vote, while Rep. Barbara Lee came in fourth with 7.4%.

Despite the criticism and controversy surrounding Porter's claims, many political analysts had already anticipated a runoff between Schiff and Garvey. With California being heavily Democratic, Schiff is considered the favorite for a full six-year term in the Senate. Both Schiff and Garvey will appear twice on the November ballot, as they also vie to fill the remainder of Feinstein's term, which concludes in January.

As the campaign heads towards the November elections, the spotlight remains on the candidates and the issues surrounding campaign financing and the influence of wealthy donors in California politics.