Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson stormed ahead in early returns Tuesday night, overshadowing six little-known rivals and potentially securing him four more years in office in a race that strengthens his standing for a potential run for higher office.
With over 44,000 ballots counted and more still being tallied, Richardson was holding just under 60% of the vote.
Joshua Rodriguez, a former law enforcement officer, was in second with 19.6%, followed by local business owner Chris Sweeney at 9.8%…