Democratic challenger Derek Tran Tuesday added another 32 votes to his lead over incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel, a day after he declared victory in the race despite a slim advantage and an unknown number of ballots left to be tallied.
Tran’s lead inched up to 613 votes, from 581 on Monday.
Tran leads 157,960-157,347, 50.1% to 49.9%, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
The consumer rights attorney and co-owner of a pharmacy with his wife Michelle trails in the Orange County portion of the district, 142,513-138,904, 50.64%-49.36%, but leads in the Los Angeles County portion — Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens and a portion of Lakewood — 19,056-14,834, 56.2%-43.8%.
Despite the still-tight race, Tran issued a statement Monday declaring victory, calling it a “testament to the spirit and resilience of our community.”
“Throughout this campaign, I heard from voters who wanted representation that prioritizes our community’s unique challenges,” he said. “From the need for affordable healthcare and housing to the importance of an economy that includes everyone, people here are looking to the future with hope and determination. I look forward to representing that optimism and working tirelessly to ensure that our communities’ voices are heard in Washington.”
There has been no comment from the Steel campaign.
Tran has been slowly expanding his lead as vote-counting continued from the Nov. 5 election. On Nov. 6, Tran was trailing by 11,363 votes, but he slowly cut into the lead as daily tallies were released, and he took his first lead over the two-term incumbent on Nov. 16.
It is not known how many ballots remain to be counted.