UPDATED: Travis Allen Wins Assembly Race

A Huntington Beach businessman beat a Los Alamitos mayor in the fierce election battle for the new 72nd Assembly District Tuesday.

With all precincts counted, Travis Allen garnered 55.7 percent of the vote, giving him an edge over Troy Edgar’s 44.3 percent, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. By the time all ballots were counted early Wednesday morning, Allen led Edgar by 12,334 votes -- 60,732 to 48,398.

Edgar declined to comment about the results. His campaign said he would release a statement Wednesday. 

Early returns had shown Allen with a slim 411 vote lead over Edgar, and as the night wore, on that lead increased. Even before Allen’s lead, a subdued mood settled over Edgar’s Huntington Beach headquarters as news of Obama’s reelection hit home to the 20-30 gathered Republicans.

Despite the growing gap, Edgar supporters held out hope late into the evening.

At 9:30 p.m., Edgar supporter and friend Bruce Barrett said he thought Edgar could still win.

“It’s not what I want to see but…ultimately I think it will change and go in our favor,” Barrett said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking to be honest, but you never know what’s going to happen.”

“I’m fairly confident he’ll pull it off,” Barrett said.

Seal Beach Mayor Pro Tem Gary Miller said he attended the party to support Edgar in his campaign.

“I worked with him, and I know he’s a good man,” Miller said. “He’s always been thinking, you know, not of just Los Alamitos but the greater community.”

As the race’s gap widened, Edgar campaign staffer Nicole Stygar said Patch could not speak with Edgar. And it got quieter from there. As it grew closer to 11 p.m. Edgar’s headquarters grew emptier.

However, Edgar intern Vince Vu said he felt “frustrated” by the growing gap between Edgar and Allen and that he felt a “slight fire burning” inside and a “sense of injustice” over the news. 

Allen, who was scheduled to attend the county GOP celebration in Costa Mesa Tuesday night, did not return calls for comment.

The 72nd Assembly District will represent Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Westminster and part of Santa Ana.