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Alex Johnson maintained his fundraising lead in the LA Unified School board race over front runner George McKenna, in the third and final reporting period before tomorrow’s primary election.

Overall, Johnson, 33, an aide to County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, has outraised McKenna, 72, a retired administrator with a national profile, by about $100,000.

But in the last 10 days both candidates had effective fund-raising efforts and almost evenly matched, with Johnson raising almost $36,000 and McKenna almost $32,000. The reporting period, which covered just 10 days between May 18 and May 28, came with few surprises but also a few mysteries, according the City Ethics website. Here are the top three fundraisers:

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CANDIDATE                       3rd Period             TOTAL

Alex Johnson:                       $35,801              $244,426

George McKenna                 $31,906              $154,439 ($10,000 self-financed)

Genethia Hudley-Hayes       $950                  $106,040 ($40,000 self-financed)

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The remaining four candidates are far behind on the fundraising front (see full report here).

Seven candidates are competing in the special election to fill the vacant seat in District 1. Johnson’s advantage may help prevent McKenna from taking more than 50 percent of the vote outright tomorrow, thus setting the stage for a “top two” runoff in August.

Two mysteries linger. Sherlett Hendy-Newbill, a coach and teacher, who has gotten the attention and endorsement of the anti-reform education crusader, Diane Ravitch and is one of three candidates to have the support of UTLA, the teachers union. Hendy-Newbill’s activity had not been posted to the City Ethics website by the May 28 deadline.

And Omarosa Manigault, a TV personality-turned-pastor-turned educator, has not updated her finances since March 17, in an apparent violation of City Ethics law.