Clearwater voters will choose between Sam Wilson and former City Council member Mark Bunker in the city's first City Council runoff Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the City of Clearwater. Council members are elected citywide, and the Seat 5 contest is nonpartisan.

August primary results

Neither candidate won a majority in the Aug. 18 primary, triggering a runoff under a charter amendment approved by Clearwater voters in 2024. Official Pinellas County results show Wilson received 11,051 votes, or 48.6%; Bunker received 8,024, or 35.3%; and Kevin R.T. Laughlin received 3,662, or 16.1%.

The 2024 amendment requires a runoff when no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. Clearwater adopted the change to its charter through a city referendum under Ordinance 9728-23.

Wilson, 26, is district director for U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. Bunker, 70, is a former council member and longtime critic of the Church of Scientology. Tampa Bay Beacons reported those biographical details.

Landings and property taxes

The candidates have differed over the proposed redevelopment of the city-owned Landings Golf Course, a roughly 77-acre site. On Oct. 14, the City Council voted 4-0 to begin negotiations with Porter Development on a proposed sports and entertainment complex. The vote did not approve a final contract, Fox 13 reported.

Before that vote, Bunker opposed the redevelopment proposal, while Wilson said the process should be transparent and include resident input, according to Tampa Bay Beacons. If elected, the Seat 5 winner could take part in future council decisions on the site's plans.

Florida voters also will consider Amendment 3, a proposed expansion of the homestead exemption for property taxes. Clearwater City Manager Jennifer Poirrier said the change could reduce the city's general fund revenue by about $12 million in the first year and another $8 million in the second year, Spectrum Bay News 9 reported. Bunker has raised concerns about the effect of tax cuts on local budgets. Wilson has said the city should assess the impact through its budget process, according to Tampa Bay Beacons.

Scientology's downtown role

The Church of Scientology's influence in downtown Clearwater has also figured in the campaign. Bunker has criticized the Cleveland Street Alliance's plans for downtown development and described the alliance as a “front group,” according to Tampa Bay Beacons. Church spokesperson Sarah Heller rejected that characterization, and alliance manager Scott Dobbins told the City Council that the church was involved in the project, the publication reported.

Wilson has acknowledged receiving campaign support from church members and said he supports a downtown entertainment venue, regardless of who is behind it, according to Tampa Bay Beacons.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can confirm their assigned polling place through Pinellas County's precinct lookup.