Update #2: Kayser talks to L.A. Weekly. See below.

Update: Numbers are continuing in the same direction as more votes are counted. See Below.

Absentee votes are counted for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board race. We will continue to keep you updated as numbers come in, but here is how things are seeming to look:

For District 1, incumbent Marguerite LaMotte looks to be safe here.

Update: She's now at 74.89 percent

For District 3, the incumbent also looks like she is in: Tamar Galatzan.

Update: She's now at 62.53 percent

District 5 is the seat everyone has their eyes on. There is no incumbent here: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa backed Luis Sanchez is in the lead, but not by enough to promise no runoff election. United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union's candidate Bennett Kayser will be the one facing Sanchez, should a runoff occur.

Update: A runoff election is still looking likely. Sanchez now is at 46.08 percent. Unless he is able to take more than 50 percent, he will face Kayser May 17 in the runoff. Kayser is at 35.48 percent.

Update #2:

Due to UTLA's last minute backing of Kayser, his campaign got off to a late start. UTLA had originally endorsed John Fernandez, only to be put off by his background check.

“I'm glad to be in the runoff,” Kayser tells L.A. Weekly. “I like the way the numbers are looking. Everything was difficult to organize in the primary. I think things will be a lot better with some time to develop a better working plan.”

For District 7, incumbent Richard Vladovic seems safe.

Update: Vladovick is now at 61.81 percent.

Contact Mars Melnicoff at mmelnicoff@laweekly.com / follow @marsmelnicoff

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