Richard Bloom's lead grows in Westside Assembly race

Really, America? Tomorrow is three weeks from the election, and they're still counting votes. For the first time — these are not recounts, folks. Those would come later, if needed.

Anyway, in the 50th assembly district, Democrat Richard Bloom has increased his lead to 888 votes over Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, also a Democrat. The tally reported by the Secretary of State as of this afternoon is 89,705 for Bloom and 88,817 for Butler. The Santa Monica mayor has already been sitting in on new lawmaker orientations in Sacramento, and it looks more like he will be staying.

The Secretary of State is still following counts in six legislative races considered too close to declare a winner.