Candidates in the 3rd District supervisorial race focused on a variety of issues throughout the campaigning period, ranging from poverty and transportation enhancements to promoting local businesses, strengthening the economy and preserving open spaces.

With 100 percent of district precincts reporting, Mark Lovelace won with 52.64 percent of the vote.

Bryan Plumley came in second, with 34.32 percent of the vote, and Paul Pitino followed with 12.76 percent of the vote.

An additional 13 votes were write-in votes.

Despite their differences, each candidate cited the importance of maintaining Humboldt County’s quality of life.

Lovelace said he felt his campaign was a “really positive experience” and centered on what people love about Humboldt County.

“We all value our rural quality of life here,” he said.

Lovelace, who has a background working with small manufacturers and serves as president of the Humboldt Watershed Council, said issues such as affordable housing, creating good-paying jobs, working lands and open space are important to residents, with more work needing to be done in areas such as roads, infrastructure and developing a policy on marijuana grow houses.

“Our quality of life is our competitive advantage in so many ways,” he said.

Early on in the race, with Lovelace in the lead, Lovelace’s field coordinator Shane Brinton said he was feeling positive about absentee returns.

“I feel like we did everything we could,” he said.

“I think we had a lot of momentum,” Plumley said, adding the numbers speak to the amount of support he has in the community.

Plumley said he was hoping for more support from downtown, and said it was difficult to say what would happen.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” he said.

Plumley, a financial adviser with Edward Jones, has also worked as a landscape architect, focusing on planning and community development, and served as president of Arcata Mainstreet, with the Arcata Economic Development Committee and with the Arcata Economic Development Corp.

During his campaign, Plumley cited the largest issues in the district as being poverty, jobs and attainable housing, which he said caused him to center on the importance of economic development.

Supporters said they backed his ability to “think outside the box” and valued his varied background.

Pitino, who came in with 12.67 percent of the votes said whether he won or lost, he was OK with any of the options.

“I’d like it to be 100 percent,” he said, but added “people vote however they feel like they want to vote.”

Pitino did not accept donations or endorsements during his campaign, spending around $300 on fliers.

“I think I really clearly brought how to take money out of politics,” he said. “It’s been really nice to do, not just because of the job and the opportunity to get the position, but also to bring in the campaign finance reform.”