The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously, with Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson absent, to continue meeting virtually amid a surge in local COVID-19 cases. Health Officer Ian Hoffman, who recently issued a mandatory masking order that will take effect at midnight tonight, told the board that things are “changing very rapidly” in the […]
Michelle Bushnell
Bushnell Takes Second District Supes Race in Final Tally
There’s a new supervisor-elect in the Second District. The Humboldt County Elections Office released final results today for the Nov. 3 election and they have challenger Michelle Bushnell besting two-term incumbent and current Board of Supervisors Chair Estelle Fennell, having taken 52 percent of the vote to Fennell’s 48 percent and winning the race by […]
Bushnell’s Lead Looks Insurmountable in Second District Race
There are fewer than 3,000 ballots in Humboldt County remaining to be counted, according to Registrar of Voters Kelly Sanders, seemingly making it incredibly unlikely two-term incumbent Supervisor Estelle Fennell will be able to make up her deficit to challenger Michelle Bushnell. With 11,742 ballots tallied in the Second District race thus far, Bushnell has […]
Bushnell Grows Lead in Second District Supes Race with Latest Election Tally
The Humboldt County Elections Office has issued its third post-election update, adding about 10,000 ballots to the count, which has strengthened challenger Michelle Bushnell’s lead over two-term incumbent Estelle Fennell in the race to become the county’s next Second District Supervisor. Bushnell, who narrowly trailed Fennell after Election Night, now leads by 356 votes, having […]
A Flip in the Second
The Humboldt County Elections Office issued its second post-election report Nov. 13, adding about 10,000 ballots to the ongoing tally and turning the race to be Humboldt County’s next Second District supervisor into an absolute nail-biter. With 10,016 votes counted this far in the race, challenger Michelle Bushnell now leads two-term incumbent Estelle Fennell by […]
Bushnell Takes Lead in Tight Second District Supes Race with Latest Election Report
The Humboldt County Elections Office issued its second post-election report this afternoon, adding about 10,000 ballots to the ongoing tally and pushing Second District supervisor challenger Michelle Bushnell into a narrow lead over two-term incumbent Estelle Fennell. With 10,016 votes cast in the Second District race, Bushnell now leads by 34 votes, with an estimated […]
Watch The Second District Supes Candidate Forum
The two candidates squaring off in a runoff to represent Humboldt County’s Second District on the Board of Supervisors — two-term incumbent Estelle Fennell and challenger Michelle Bushnell — participated in virtual forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Friday. The forum, which saw each candidate answer questions on homelessness, climate change and mental […]
Second District: Fennell Lead Shrinks with Final Tally, November Runoff Possible
Final Election Night Report: In the final Election Night tally, incumbent Second District Supervisor Estelle Fennell fell back to the pack slightly and it now seems very possible she will end up in a November runoff with challenger Michelle Bushnell. In the final tally, Fennell finished with 49.92 percent of the vote — just shy […]
An Eclectic Mix
The race to become Humboldt County’s next Second District supervisor has four challengers taking on two-term incumbent Estelle Fennell, collectively offering a diverse set of opinions on where the county is and where it’s going. The March 3 primary will see Fennell, the former executive director of the Humboldt County Coalition of Property Rights and […]
Board of Supervisors Candidate Forum (Video)
About 100 people filled a 312 seat theatre Wednesday night as College of the Redwoods hosted the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors District 1 and District 2 candidate forum. All seven candidates running attended, with current District One Supervisor Rex Bohn running against local radio personality Cliff Berkowitz, while incumbent Estelle Fennel is challenged by […]
Incumbents Hold Large Cash Advantage in Supes Races
When it comes to financing a supervisorial campaign, it sure is nice to be an incumbent. That’s the primary takeaway from the first round of campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Humboldt County Elections Office in advance of the March 3 primary, which will see five challengers battle a pair of incumbents for seats […]
