California Secretary of State Proposes Urgent Legal Reforms After Mailing Antisemitic Candidate Statements

California’s Secretary of State is seeking legislative changes after mailing a voter guide filled with antisemitic conspiracies from candidate Don Grundmann.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 10:03 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

A Breach of Official Voter Communication

California’s election infrastructure is facing intense scrutiny following the mailing of an official state voter information guide that featured an entry rife with hate speech. Don J. Grundmann, a candidate for governor with no qualified party preference, submitted a statement that was subsequently printed and mailed to millions of households for the June 2, 2026, primary. While the Secretary of State’s office included a unique disclaimer on Grundmann’s entry stating that the opinions do not represent the office, the inclusion of such rhetoric on government letterhead has sparked a debate over the limits of administrative neutrality in public materials.

Extreme Conspiracies Target Jewish Community

The text of the candidate statement published by the state contains a series of inflammatory and historically false claims. Grundmann alleged that Israel was responsible for the September 11 terror attacks, the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and a plot to deploy nuclear weapons against the United States. Furthermore, the statement utilized dehumanizing language, referring to non-Jews as "goyim" and "cattle" who would be enslaved. These claims, paired with links to websites hosting white supremacist and antisemitic materials, have been identified by watchdog groups as a direct violation of the integrity of the democratic process.

Outrage from Civil Rights Organizations

Prominent Jewish advocacy groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Orange County, have filed formal protests against the Secretary of State. In a joint letter to Secretary Shirley Weber, the groups argued that the inclusion of the statement in an official guide provides a dangerous level of government legitimacy to rhetoric that fuels real world violence. They contended that the entry should have been disqualified under existing guidelines which state that candidate submissions must be limited to a recitation of the individual's personal background and professional qualifications.