LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Republican Robert Howell increased his lead over Democratic Assemblyman Marc Levine to 28,908 votes Thursday in the race for second place in the insurance commissio-ner's contest, according to figures released by the Secretary of State's Office.

Howell began Thursday's vote count with a 25,401-vote lead. The cybersecurity equipment manufacturer led by 13,692 votes entering Wednesday's count and 18,689 votes entering Tuesday's.

Howell has 1,060,273 votes (18.2%) to 1,031,365 (17.7%) for Levine, D- San Rafael. Incumbent Democrat Ricardo Lara leads with 2,107,126 votes (36.2%).

Lance Ray Christensen added 1,131 votes to his lead Thursday to move 41,702 votes ahead of George Yang in the race for the second spot in the November ballot for state superintendent of public instruction. Christensen began Thursday's vote count with a 40,571-vote lead over Yang. The education policy executive was 31,667 votes ahead at the start of Wednesday's count and 15,650 votes ahead entering Tuesday's count.

Christensen has 644,377 votes (11.9%) to 602,675 for Yang (11.1%). Incumbent Tony K. Thurmond leads the nonpartisan contest with 2,493,504 votes (46.0%).

In the attorney general's race, former Assistant U.S. Attorney General Nathan Hochman extended his lead over fellow Republican Eric Early, an attorney and business owner, to 117,371 votes after leading by 115,544 votes entering Thursday's count, 105,897 votes entering Wednesday's and 101,089 at the start of Tuesday's.

Hochman has 1,107,352 votes (18.5%) to 989,981 (16.6%) for Early. Appointed Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta leads with 3,255,693 (54.5%).

An estimated 1,080,064 ballots remain unprocessed statewide, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

The next updates on Los Angeles County races are scheduled to be released Friday.