Nicole Parra

A Democratic candidate narrowed the gap a bit in Assembly District 10 Friday, but another one in AD 30 slipped further behind and had her race dropped from the Secretary of State's close races watch.

In AD 10, Alyson Huber, an attorney from El Dorado Hills, trailed Lodi Republican Jack Sieglock by 506 votes on Friday evening, with 46.4 percent of the vote to 46.8 percent for Sieglock.

The 10th Assembly District race between Jack Sieglock and Alyson Huber moved in the Republican's favor Thursday, with Sieglock moving to a 943-vote lead over Huber, a Democrat from El Dorado Hills.

Sieglock, from Lodi, had 76,267 votes for 46.9 percent of the vote, to 75,324 and 46.3 percent for Huber.

Meanwhile, another Assembly race moved onto the California Secretary of State's "Close Races" watch, with Democrat Fran Florez now within less than 1,500 votes of overtaking Republican Danny Gilmore in the 30th Assembly District.

Final registration numbers for the Nov. 4 election show that Democrats narrowed the lead Republicans had in some contested Northern California districts, but none of those districts outright flipped from one party to another in the last weeks of the race.

In the 4th Congressional District, Democratic registration was nearly unchanged from the 60-day election report, with just over 31 percent. Republican registration dropped from 40 percent to 39.8 percent, while decline-to-state voters - which rose in most districts - went from 17.8 percent to 18.4 percent.

A rumored Democratic target in the 3rd Congressional District saw slight Democratic gains, up from 37.2 to 37.6 percent, and a decline for Republicans, from above 40 percent to 39.8 percent. DTS voters rose as well, to 18.2 percent.

The California Republican Party got directly involved in two competitive Assembly seats in a big way this week, donating $85,000 for Republican Abram Wilson in the 15th and $125,000 for Republican Danny Gilmore in the 30th.

Party spokesman Kevin Roberts said the donation is a sign that the GOP considers both seats high priorities to win on Nov. 4.

SACRAMENTO - The sliding economy and other factors are giving a lift to Democrats in key legislative races that are coming down to the wire, according to consultants working with those races.

In polls that ask whether likely voters would vote for a generic Democrat or Republican in five state Assembly districts with open seats, Democrats get the nod in all five.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) has endorsed Shafter Mayor Fran Florez in her bid to win the 30th Assembly District seat.

In a release from Florez's campaign Friday announcing the endorsement, Feinstein made note of Florez's work on technical education and job development in her Central Valley city.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell endorsed 30th Assembly District candidate and Democrat Fran Florez today, saying her support of career technical education is in line with what the state needs.

Florez is running against Republican Danny Gilmore in the southern San Joaquin Valley district, which represents one of the Republican Party's few chances to pick up a seat in California this fall.

The campaign for Assembly candidate Fran Florez responded to termed-out Assembly member Nicole Parra's (D-Hanford) endorsement of Florez's Republican opponent Monday, calling it "something less than the marriage of the frog and the prince."

Bob Sanders, campaign manager for Democrat Florez, the mayor of Shafter, said it was telling that Parra and Republican Danny Gilmore spent millions in a negative campaign against one another in Parra's 2006 re-election race.

Republican Assembly candidate Danny Gilmore said he's not taking advantage of intra-party warfare among Democrats in the 30th Assembly District.

After receiving the endorsement Monday of outgoing Assemblywoman - and 2006 opponent -- Nicole Parra (D-Hanford), Gilmore said good public service is about building relationships.

After bucking her party Monday to endorse the Republican seeking to replace her in the Assembly, Nicole Parra (D-Hanford) said she's not ruling out a future run for office as an independent.

Parra, termed out of the state Assembly this year, endorsed Danny Gilmore Monday morning over Democrat and Shafter Mayor Fran Florez, member of a political family that's feuded with Parra.