NORWALK, Calif. — Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom doubled his lead against opponent Assemblywoman Betsy Butler in their fight for the 50th Assembly District, county officials reported Monday.
Bloom shot ahead from a 439 to an 888-vote margin between Friday and Monday, according to the County Clerk/Registrar Recorder's Office.
Even at a mere .75 percent difference, it's the most commanding lead he's had in the contest, up from a low of 79 votes less than one week ago.
The most recent update includes 72,087 votes. The next update is scheduled for Wednesday, and county officials plan to certify the results next week.
The close count tells the story of this race from start to finish, in which four candidates fought through a brutal primary with less than 2 percent of the vote separating first place from fourth.
A 2010 change in the voting law meant that the top two vote-getters moved forward, regardless of party, pitting Butler and Bloom against each other in the general election.
Although Butler and independent expenditure campaigns supporting her outspent Bloom by a margin of 2 to 1, he has never trailed in the vote counts since Nov. 6.
ashley@www.smdp.com
