Patty Lopez still leads by 46 votes in the Valley

They are both Democrats so there is not a whole lot at stake politically, but the still-continuing race in the Northeast Valley's 39th Assembly district is intriguing. Newcomer Patty Lopez barely spent any money, but after more counting of provisional and mail-in ballots she maintains a 46-vote lead over the incumbent Assemblyman, Raul Bocanegra. Lopez had a 7-vote lead the last time the county reported the totals on Monday. Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said today there is still about 113,000 votes county-wide to be counted, so there could be enough in that district to shift that race's outcome. The next results will be announced on Tuesday, Logan says.

As the count goes on, the two rival campaigns are feeling the pressure. From Dakota Smith in the Daily News:

With the Assembly District seat at stake, tensions are high between the two camps. Bocanegra’s campaign consultant on Tuesday accused Lopez of using a Republican “operative” to run her campaign, which she denies. Additionally, Lopez’s campaign contributions haven’t been posted yet on the Secretary of State’s web site, which has Bocanegra’s camp questioning her donations and campaign expenditures.

Lopez said she has submitted all her filings but didn’t do so electronically.

For her part, Lopez complained earlier this week that Bocanegra volunteers bullied her at the Registrar’s Norwalk building. A Bocanegra spokesman denied the charge.