Burke Claims Victory as Lead Widens : Supervisor: Continuing count of absentee ballots raises her margin to 2,572 votes in 2nd District race.

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke declared victory Monday as her lead in the 2nd District Los Angeles County supervisor’s race continued to grow--two weeks after the election.

But her opponent, Diane Watson, vowed to challenge the results, in court if necessary. She has alleged that voting irregularities occurred.

Burke, a former congresswoman who led state Sen. Watson by 775 votes when polls closed Nov. 3, stretched her lead on Monday to 2,572 votes. About 10,000 ballots were still to be counted from throughout the county, with an estimated 1,000 from the 2nd District, which runs from Koreatown through South-Central Los Angeles to the Westside.

“I think it’s safe to declare victory at this point,” Burke said.

Watson was vacationing in Mexico but said in a statement issued by her campaign: “Naturally, these latest figures are not what I hoped to see. But I owe it to my supporters to review the cases of voting irregularities I am receiving and which could lead to a recount and even court action.”

The winner will become the first African-American elected to the Board of Supervisors, succeeding retiring Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. Burke, the only black to ever serve on the board, was appointed in 1979 but served only 18 months before losing an election to Deane Dana.

In a last-ditch effort to reverse the outcome short of a lawsuit, Watson sent a letter Monday to county Registrar-Recorder Charles Weissburd asking him to count thousands of “provisional” ballots that were rejected because they were cast at the wrong precincts.

Watson has contended that she could overtake Burke if the provisional ballots are counted. Watson outpolled Burke in votes cast at the polls Election Day, 184,469 to 182,519. Burke took the lead on the strength of absentee balloting.

Weissburd said he would have no response to Watson’s request until he consults with county lawyers.

The district attorney’s office has launched an investigation into the 2nd District balloting. But election officials have said they have found no evidence of voting fraud.

Jim Hilfenhaus, a Watson campaign aide, said that Watson has received complaints from voters that they were turned away from their regular polling place on Election Day.

“We’re saying if there was some effort to maneuver people to other precincts to disallow their vote, they were denied their right to vote,” he said. “We would just like anybody who was registered, but merely went to the wrong precinct, counted.”

Watson campaign workers Monday night planned to telephone district voters in search of cases of voting irregularities.

“We understand the other camp is trying to make it sound like sour grapes,” Hilfenhaus said. “But our feeling is that funny business happened in this election.”

Watson’s threatened legal challenge could leave the 2nd District race in doubt beyond Dec. 7, when the winner is to take her seat.

Weissburd said he expects to certify the election results Nov. 24. The loser then will have five days to request a recount and 30 days to file a lawsuit.