UPDATE, 1:17 a.m.: Summing Up

Arroyo and Castellano wrap the night at The Siren’s Song

Measure K — the county sanctuary ordinance — has pulled ahead as of the election night final report, and looks like it will pass easily.

That’s far from the only race the progressives are poised to win, though. Richard Marks and Kim Bergel beat their single opponents handily. Leslie Castellano and Susan Seaman have commanding leads. Natalie Arroyo — contrary to at least my expectation — looks to win her otherwise conservative-leaning ward outright. Arcata gave the McKinley statue a huge thumbs-down. 

Remember: There are lots and lots of votes left to be counted — late-received vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots, conditions ballots — and they won’t be fully counted for weeks. It’s not completely inconceivable that things could change, but it’s very, very unlikely, given that these are historically progressive votes and the progressive candidates won. But there’ll be more to come.

Good night, everyone!

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 1:01 a.m.: ELECTION NIGHT FINAL REPORT!

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 12:40 a.m.: The Blue Wave Hit Humboldt, At Least

A new shipment of ballots from the First Ward, and Leslie Castellano has extended her lead over Anthony Mantova by seemingly untouchable margins. She has double his votes now.

Arcata precincts are reporting, and with them — as expected — Measure M is going down in flames. Meanwhile, Measure K, the sanctuary county ordinance, is looking more and more like a winner — it now trails by only 0.2 percentage points and less than 50 votes, with many more largely left-leaning votes to be tallied.

Eureka’s Measure I — the quarter-cent sales tax for road repair — is looking a little dicey, though. It needs 2/3 to pass, and seems to have stalled out at around 61 percent in recent tallies.

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 12:28 a.m.: Third Report!

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 11:19 p.m.: Trickle, Trickle

No new votes have been tallied in Eureka’s First Ward, which is still the closest race of the night, but some precincts have been tallied in the Third and the Fifth, and elsewhere in the city, and they confirm that this is looking like a very good night for Eureka’s left. Natalie Arroyo, Kim Bergel, Susan Seaman and Richard Marks have all widened their leads.

No new votes counted in Arcata, either, but — for reasons stated below — it looks like McKinley is a goner. Eureka’s Measure I is creeping up toward getting the required 2/3 vote with a lot of votes left to be counted in the city. Measure K is likewise getting closer. No telling in either of those cases whether the gap will close. But the county’s Measure O is a shoo-in.

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 11:04 p.m.: SECOND REPORT!

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 10:47 p.m.:

Things are winding down at Arts & Drafts, but Heidi Messner’s spirits were still high when we caught up with her moments ago.

She’s the only candidate this reporter saw tonight who suffered a physical injury from her campaigning efforts: She nearly severed the tip of her right thumb earlier today while making campaign flyers with one of those guillotine-style paper trimmers.

The thumb was wrapped in gauze, and she said hospital staff had to glue the sliced nail back in place. 

As for tonight’s results, the sitting councilmember/mayoral candidate said, “It’s so early. How do you tell anything from [the first results]?”

Regardless of the outcome at the end of the night (or early morning), Messner said she feels like her campaign won because her team did such an amazing job. While she said her campaign was “about bringing unity toward a common goal,” she also noted that canvassing taught her a bit about the darker side of local politics.

“I learned how crappy people can be,” she said. Specifically Messner said she was taken aback by the anger and lies from a few of the most militant anti-needle exchange folks. 

Local attorney Kathleen Bryson, who worked on Messner’s campaign, got a bit emotional as she praised the candidate. “The strategy was love,” Bryson said. And regarding the negativity she added, “There’s a better way to campaign.”

— Ryan Burns

UPDATE, 10:34 p.m.: P.S….

Doubt it’s much of a surprise to anyone, but the Arcata City Council candidates are way out in front…

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 10:20 p.m.: The Siren Song’s Castellano Party is Going Off

— Andrew Goff

UPDATE, 9:45 p.m.: Progressives Start Cautiously Celebrating

“Feeling pretty good now,” said Richard Marks after getting a look at the first results, which have him nearly 19 points ahead of challenger Marian Brady for a seat on the board of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District. 

“I’m surprised,” he added. “Thought it would be closer.”

Susan Seaman was also feeling good, given her early lead over fellow Eureka mayoral candidates Michelle Costantine and Heidi Messner. She said that an interesting thing about running for public office is that “you get far less feedback than you expect.” 

She even wondered if maybe she was doing something wrong because she didn’t experience any negative campaigning from competitors or their supporters. Apparently not.

Over at North of Fourth, Natalie Arroyo said she was excited to see the first results “across the board” — and a little surprised by some of the early returns in other races. “It’s looking good for the candidates I supported,” she said.

Earlier today Arroyo stood on the corner of Buhne and E streets for more than eight hours, she said, and at one point she even rescued a voter’s ballot. A supporter was waiving the absentee ballot out the window, shouting that she was voting for Arroyo, when the wind caught it, sending the ballot into a nearby storm drain.

In an impressive show of constituent services, Arroyo fished it out. 

— Ryan Burns

UPDATE, 9:42 p.m.:

Couple of other notes: Measure O, the countywide half-cent sales tax, looks to be an easy win. Measure I, the city of Eureka’s quarter-cent sales tax, is going to have to make up some ground with precinct voters in order to clear the 2/3 vote required.

The latter might be a longer shot, but it’s one of those races that actually might have a better chance than it would appear at face value, given that the next few election reports usually take a sharp turn to the left. Measure M, Arcata’s initiative to keep the McKinley statue, is narrowly losing now, which almost certainly means it’s going to lose badly when all is said and done. Measure K, the sanctuary ordinance, is certainly still in the running.

On the other hand, Anthony Mantova might not have been speaking idly when he told us that he still has a chance in the First Ward. Check those numbers — First Warders don’t vote much, but they certainly don’t vote early absentee. Only a handful of votes separate him and frontrunner Leslie Castellano.

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 9:23 p.m.:

First results posted below (I’ll fill in the actual number of ballots counted in a moment), but these numbers are obviously hugely encouraging for the left-of-center candidates in Eureka. The Outpost’s Ryan Burns tells us a huge cheer went up at the Susan Seaman party inside Phatsy Kline’s.

As well it might. All five candidates from the left-of-center party are leading outright, and some of them by very large margins — and this is among the early absentee votes, which traditionally hew very conservative. There are still lots of votes to count and something unprecedented could happen, but even the conservatives are taken aback by this. “I’m bummed for the other races,” Anthony Mantova just told the Outpost’s Andrew Goff. “I’ve still got a shot.” 

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 9:12 p.m.: FIRST ELECTION REPORT! Early Absentee Results!

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 9 p.m.:

Joe Bonino, sipping a margarita and looking dapper in a familiar, starred red, white and blue scarf, notes to me that Chapala was a great place to have a joint event for he and Anthony since it’s located right on the border of the First and Fifth wards. Neat.

— Andrew Goff

UPDATE, 8:48 p.m.: Wating…

So, obviously the first results — from the early vote-by-mail ballots — have not yet been reported. Rather than call County Clerk-Recorder Kelly Sanders and ask what’s up, I’ll assume they’re just delayed somewhat and that Sanders is working up a sweat getting them posted despite a technical difficulty, or what have you.

Should be soon! If not, I’ll call.

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 8:07 p.m.: Seaman and Marks Await Results at Phatsy Clines

Harbor Commissioner Richard Marks has joined the Election Night party for Susan Seaman at Phatsy Cline’s, the bar inside The Inn at 2nd and C (aka the Eagle House), where revelers are snacking on popcorn and party mix, sipping cocktails and awaiting the first results. 

  

Marks, wearing a pair of neon pink Steph Curry sneakers, said he walked many miles today in his last-minute efforts to get out the vote. He’s running against termed-out Eureka Councilmember Marian Brady to retain his Harbor District seat and said he’s hoping to get at least 48 percent of the absentee votes, which roll in first. 

Seaman seemed relaxed and said, “We did the best we could. Enjoyed ourselves. Learned a lot.” 

She declined to make any predictions, saying it’s amazing how little you know without polling. 

— Ryan Burns

UPDATE, 8:26 p.m.:

Pretty good crowd of Mantova-heads in Chapala. They seem to be all seated in orderly fashion in this video from the Outpost’s Andrew Goff.

— Hank Sims

UPDATE, 7:47 p.m.: Michelle Costantine is Ready to Put Her Tired Feet Up

First Ward candidate Anthony Mantova just hit up fellow “Take Back Eureka”er Michelle Costantine’s party at The Madrone, presumably before heading over to his own soiree.

Costantine said she’s ready for some rest and relaxation after the rigors of campaigning for mayor door-to-door. You have to cover five times the ground that a city councilperson covers! “I’m good on walking for a while,” she said.

They’ve got nice swag over at The Madrone. Candles, goblets, lots of stuff:

— Hank Sims

Eureka First Ward candidate Leslie Castellano and her mother waved at passing drivers near the intersection of California and 14th streets earlier today. Photo: Andrew Goff.

Party line: Right. Photo: Andrew Goff.

Party line: Left. Photo: Andrew Goff.