Elections: Garcia Holds On to Lead Over Miller in Senate Race

Former Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia retained her lead Wednesday over Indio City Councilman and fellow Republican Glenn Miller in the race for the second spot in the 28th Senate District general election in November, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

Garcia overtook Miller for the second spot last week, and had a 454-vote lead Wednesday after more ballots were processed. Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Stone remains in first place with about 21 percent of the vote and will face whoever finishes second.

About 1,000 provisional ballots still must be processed, and final certified results will posted Friday at 6 p.m., according to the registrar.

Miller held an 82-vote lead over Garcia last Wednesday, the day after the election.

Democrat Philip Drucker was 793 votes behind Miller Wednesday.

Exchanges among some of the Republicans in the Senate race were heated. Stone and Miller criticized out-of-district funds invested in Garcia's candidacy, while Garcia asked the state Attorney General's Office to investigate Stone over allegations of political corruption. One of Stone's supporters also asked for an investigation into Garcia's finances.

In the race for the 42nd Assembly District seat, Democrat Karalee Hargrove retains a solid 40 percent of the vote, and it remains unclear who she will face in November. As has been the case since the June 3 election, Republicans Chad Mayes and Gary Jeandron are almost dead even, with 30 and 29 percent of the vote, respectively, as of late Wednesday afternoon.

– City News Service.