[img]1603|left|Richard Bloom||no_popup[/img]• 50th state Assembly District:
Richard Bloom (D) of Santa Monica, 69,280 votes, 50.08 percent.
Assemblymember Betsy Butler (D-South Bay), 69,062 votes, 49.92 percent.
The two candidates are roped together so tightly she can hear his shoes squeak when he moves – or even breathes.
First-time contender Richard Bloom, Mayor of Santa Monica and a City Council member for 13 years, ending this month, defeated first-term state Assemblyperson Betsy Butler of the South Bay early this morning by 218 votes for the Assembly seat in the redesigned 50th District.
The narrowness of margin is expected to trigger a recount, although none yet had been announced, as of early this afternoon.
Meanwhile, an unknown number of provisional ballots and late absentee ballots remain to be tabulated.
Counting of these votes will begin in 48 hours at the County Registrar’s office in Norwalk. However, since counting only is conducted on Tuesdays and Fridays, it will not proceed swiftly enough to generate a breeze.
Brian Ross Adams, Mayor Bloom’s campaign manager, issued the following statement this morning:
“After a grueling campaign, Mayor Bloom and his family were up all night watching the election results come in. Today, he is trying to get some badly needed rest. Mayor Bloom wants to thank his supporters, volunteers and staff. He finished the night ahead by 218 votes, but the process is not yet complete. Votes will be counted for the next two weeks and he, along with many others, will follow the count closely and optimistically.”
Beyond that, the Bloom camp is awaiting legal counsel.
In the early going last evening, after the first 34,000 absentee ballots were tallied, Mayor Bloom maintained a 2,000-vote lead, which some supporters interpreted as a favorable omen.
As he patiently awaited results last evening at his victory party at Back on Broadway, Santa Monica, the mayor looked and acknowledged that he not only was fatigued but coming down with a cold. During an interview, he needed to step away to sneeze. Will further counting prove a panacea for Mayor Bloom’s health?
