The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to censure Supervisor Michelle Bushnell after an outside investigation sustained allegations that she “raised her voice, spoke in a hostile manner and cursed” at two employees in May. The largely symbolic gesture that basically amounts to the board making a public statement of disapproval about the […]
Second District
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Supes to Consider Bushnell Censure
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is set Tuesday to consider the public censure of Supervisor Michelle Bushnell after an investigation sustained an allegation that the Second District representative mistreated a Planning Department staff member during a December of 2021 meeting. The staff report states the “board action is limited to public censure,” which would […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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First Post-Election Report Narrows Fennell’s Lead in Second District
The Humboldt County Elections Office released its first post-election report this afternoon, adding almost 5,000 ballots to the last tallies released Wednesday morning. The new ballots further narrowed incumbent Second District Supervisor Estelle Fennell’s Election Night lead in a close runoff. She now holds a 197-vote advantage over challenger Michelle Bushnell, having taken 51 percent […]
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Final Election Night Report Leaves Lots of Ballots Yet to be Tallied
The final election night results are in and, well, they don’t feel very final. The final election night report added another 1,890 ballots to the mix, for a running total of 41,869 counted thus far, representing about 49 percent of the county’s registered voters. But a lot of votes remain to be counted — likely […]
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Third Return: Ballot Tallies Continue to Trickle In
The Humboldt County Elections Office has released its third batch of results, adding nearly 1,661 ballots for a total of 39,979 votes counted thus far, representing about 47 percent of registered voters. The second return doesn’t seem to change a whole lot. In the county’s Second District supervisorial runoff, incumbent Estelle Fennell holds a slimming […]
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Second Return Adds About 2K Ballots to Tallies, Most Races Remain Wide Open
The Humboldt County Elections Office has released its second batch of results, adding nearly 1,956 ballots to the initial tally of more than 36,000. The second return doesn’t seem to change a whole lot. In the county’s Second District supervisorial runoff, incumbent Estelle Fennell holds a 413-vote advantage over challenger Michelle Bushnell, and holds about […]
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First Returns: Fennell Holds Early Lead, All Local Ballot Measures Currently Faring Well
Incumbent Second District Humboldt County Supervisor Estelle Fennell has jumped out to a seemingly strong early lead in her runoff with challenger Michelle Bushnell, taking 54 percent of the first batch of ballots reported — a batch swelled by tens of thousands of vote by mail ballots. As reported prior, it’s hard to know exactly […]
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As Polls Close, First Batch of Humboldt Election Results Expected Soon
Some Humboldt County voters spent hours in line at the polls today, while others simply slid their ballots into a host of drop boxes set up around the county. Still others dropped their ballot in the mail weeks ago, contributing to the 47,000 vote-by-mail ballots county Registrar of Voters Kelly Sanders told the Journal yesterday […]
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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 […]