UPDATE: The race for the 27th Congressional District remains tight as Democratic candidate George Whitesides widens his lead over Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia.

As of Monday morning, Whitesides held a lead of 4,730 votes over incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Garcia, according to preliminary results from the California Secretary of State.

Whitesides had trailed Garcia since election night before taking a 50.4%-49.6% lead on Saturday. He expanded that lead into Sunday, now holding a lead of 50.9%-49.1%, according to state election results.

A resident of the Antelope Valley, Whitesides served as Chief of Staff for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Chief of Staff during the Obama administration, as well as the first CEO of spaceflight company Virgin Galactic.

A former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Garcia took the seat for what was then the 25th Congressional District after a special 2020 election in the wake of the resignation of former congresswoman Katie Hill. Garcia was elected to his second full term in 2022.

“Thank you to everyone for the continued support. Every vote in this race needs to be counted, and I’m looking forward to seeing tomorrow’s update,” Whitesides said on Twitter Sunday.

Garcia released a statement Saturday when he was initially overtaken by Whitesides.

“It is essential that every vote cast by the people of our district is thoroughly and accurately counted. While we await the final results, variations in daily vote totals are to be expected as the process continues. I am confident that when all votes are in, our message of economic security, safe neighborhoods, and protecting critical programs like Social Security and Medicare will have resonated with CA-27 families,” Garcia said. “I am incredibly grateful for the support we have received from across the district, and I thank every voter who participated in this election. We remain optimistic as we await the final outcome, and I am ready to get to work delivering on the priorities that matter most to California families.”

Only 325,300 ballots remain to be counted in all of Los Angeles County as of Sunday evening.

The next L.A. County vote update is expected to be made available to the media between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday.

California county elections officials have 30 days from Election Day on Nov. 5, 2024, to process ballots. County elections officials must finalize their official results by Dec. 5. The Secretary of State will certify the statewide results on Dec.13, 2024.

Click here for the latest election updates for Santa Clarita races.

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