Elephants stampede in Clearwater election

Zoom in: After Clearwater's mayor quit suddenly and publicly last year, a new mayor and new councilmembers will reshape Tampa Bay's third-largest city.

Context: In Clearwater's government system, the mayor runs meetings and acts as the face of City Hall but has an equal vote with four other councilmembers.

• The races are nonpartisan, but Republicans and Democrats have skin in the game.

What's ahead: The deadline to request a mail ballot is March 7, early voting is March 9-17 and election day is March 19.

Mayor's race: He said, she said

Who's running: Bruce Rector, an attorney who ran for City Council unsuccessfully in 2020, takes on councilmember Kathleen Beckman.

The attacks: Rector is endorsed by former mayor Frank Hibbard and his appointed replacement, Interim Mayor Brian Aungst Sr., both Republicans, as well as U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-St. Petersburg) and the Tampa Bay Times editorial board.

• In a letter mailed by Rector's campaign, Hibbard names Beckman as the reason for his sudden resignation, claiming she wanted to prioritize $90 million for a new city hall in the budget. She denies the claim, saying the project is now projected to cost $31.5 million, according to the Times.
• Hibbard also recently filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics accusing Beckman of using city resources to aid her campaign for mayor, per Florida Politics.

The other side: Rector has big names on his side, but he's admitted that Beckman has power in numbers. Aggressive door knocking and face-to-face time with voters won her the council seat in 2020, and she's remained available to constituents, per the Times.

• She has largely Democratic endorsements from local elected officials and community members.

On the issues: The candidates differ on how to clear up traffic, and whether to privatize city parks and recreation facilities. (Rector's in favor; Beckman's opposed.)

Seat 2: Scientology showdown

Flashback: Councilmember Mark Bunker won his seat in 2020 after a campaign centered around getting Scientology out of downtown.

• Now, he faces two challengers with different ideas about how to handle Scientology.

Who's running: Marketing executive Mike Mastruserio says Bunker has been mostly talk, and he wants to take more aggressive action against the church.

Another side: Lealman Fire District Capt. Ryan Cotton says the church should be treated like any other organization, despite owning or being tied to businesses that own most of downtown.

• "Work with them when you can but work around them if you can't," he said at a forum on Feb. 7. "We need to get this downtown revitalized."

Go deeper: Times reporter Tracey McManus parses out their positions.

Seat 3: Grassroots vs. GOP establishment

In the race to succeed Beckman, two candidates running grassroots campaigns are up against another with backing in the business community and the local GOP.

Who's running: Freelance journalist Jared Leone and Javante Scott, a young neighborhood coordinator, both want to end the council's conservative majority.

• Michael Mannino, owner of an athletic event business, has the former and interim mayor on his side among other local Republicans, business groups and the police and fire unions. He previously ran for Bunker's seat.
• Leone and Scott's campaigns are almost entirely individual voter-funded.

The other side: Mannino told the Times that his endorsements are proof of his reputation as a good community leader.

• "To hear them get behind and endorse me, it's not because it's a cool kids club or a political scheme or some grandiose trick up somebody's sleeve," Mannino said. "It's because they believe in certain leaders and their ability."