SECOND UPDATE:
The final election night report is in, and the tally confirms Greg Dale’s re-election. With 3,080 votes cast, and all of the 2nd District’s 23 precincts reporting, Dale took nearly 64 percent of the vote to challenger Nick Angeloff’s 35 percent.

Celebrating at his Fortuna home with a Manhattan, Dale was pleased with the election night results. “We’re grateful for all the folks that have a rational position about the district and about where we’re going,” he said over the phone. “And pretty excited.”

FIRST UPDATE:
The second election night report is out, but few of the precincts in the 2nd District are reporting yet, meaning Dale is still strongly in the lead. 

With three out of 23 precincts reporting, Dale has 63 percent of the total vote. Angeloff trails with nearly 36 percent of the vote. The precinct returns are much more evenly matched than the mail-in ballots (51.17 percent Dale, 48.83 percent Angeloff), but Angeloff is still a distant second.

PREVIOUSLY:

The first returns from the elections office are in and incumbent Greg Dale has a commanding lead in the race for the Harbor District's 2nd District seat.

The first report shows Dale leading with 64 percent — 1,470 votes cast in his name. His challenger, Nick Angeloff, has nearly 35 percent — 796 votes. The first report only shows vote-by-mail ballots, and precinct reports are yet to be tallied.

Dale has sat on the board for four years, and largely based his campaign on the district’s accomplishments during that time, including the acquisition of the former Samoa Pulp Mill. The district was able to get financing through the Environmental Protection Agency and Dale’s employer, Coast Seafoods, to clean up millions of gallons of caustic liquors abandoned at the site. (Dale and the district are the subject of a conflict of interest lawsuit regarding the Coast Seafoods loan — though he and the district chair say it was politically motivated and has no merit.)

But the mill acquisition proved contentious, as Dale’s challenger Nick Angeloff and other contenders rose to challenge three of the district board’s five positions. Angeloff argued it was irresponsible for the district to take on millions in debt for the cleanup, despite the fact that the EPA would forgive the loan in seven years unless the district sold the property, and Coast Seafoods’ loan turned into a prepayment on lease of district tidal lands.

Angeloff touted himself as a business consultant, who’d been in talks with investors and agricultural producers for years to increase shipping to and from Humboldt Bay. He bashed the district’s expanding scope into aquaculture, tourism and recreation, saying the only way to secure a financially sound future for the county was to increase shipping.

Dale, meanwhile, argued the district was saved from insolvency by making changes at Woodley Island and diversifying its income. As of Oct. 22, Angeloff's campaign had outraised Dale's by about $3,500.

Challenger Susan Rotwein has taken an early lead over incumbent Pat Higgins in the 5th District.

Click here to visit the Humboldt County Elections Office webpage for full election results, including: Arcata’s Measure A, the McKinleyville Union School Board, the Fortuna Union High School Board, the Fruitland Ridge Fire Protection District Board, the Humboldt County Board of Education, the Manila Community Services District Board, the Shelter Cove Resort Improvement District Board and the Willow Creek Community Services District Board.