Votes are still being counted in the 4th district, but both state Sen. Tom McClintock (R) and Democratic nominee Charlie Brown are attending this week’s orientation for new Members.

McClintock was leading Brown by 622 votes Monday afternoon, with the bulk of the votes yet to be counted originating mostly from the district’s Republican counties. Brown, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, lost narrowly to outgoing Rep. John Doolittle (R) in 2006, and he was hoping to avoid a similar fate in this year’s contest.

“We start this week with a lead of 622 votes out of 339,292 total cast, or 0.18 percent,” McClintock said in a statement e-mailed to supporters. “The good news is that there are less than 1,500 ballots to tally in the only county that Brown won and over 25,000 ballots to process in the counties that I carried.”

Considering the strong Republican lean of the Sacramento-area, Northern California district, Brown will have over- performed even if he once again falls short of victory. Brown has yet to concede the contest.