Countywide : Sumner’s Lead Widens as Recount Continues
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Write-in candidate Bruce Sumner widened his lead Thursday to 831 votes over Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr. follower Art Hoffmann, a Santa Ana technical writer, in a continuing recount of ballots for the Democratic nomination in the 40th Congressional District, Deputy Registrar of Voters Shirley Deaton said.
With 472 of 705 precincts counted, Deaton said Sumner had 15,988 votes to Hoffmann’s 15,157 as of Thursday afternoon.
Sumner, chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party, is paying $500 a day for a hand tally of the June 6 primary votes after allegations of irregularities by poll workers on election day.
Sumner, a retired judge, mounted a well-organized write-in campaign to prevent a LaRouche-backed candidate from becoming the Democratic Party’s standard bearer in the November general election against Rep. Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach).
LaRouche, considered a political extremist, has announced plans to run for president in 1988.
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