There's been a lot of interest in the race for mayor. Both candidates - Kathleen Beckman, a city council member, and Bruce Rector, a lawyer, have raised six figures in donations for a job that pays just over $50,000 a year.
The position opened when Mayor Frank Hibbard quit during a city meeting last March. He said the council was proposing to spend too much money on a new city hall - which Beckman supported.
There are also contests for City Council Seats 2 and 3, with three candidates running for each seat. And Clearwater residents will vote on a change to the city charter, asking if runoff elections should be held if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote - as well as changing the city's regular elections from March to August of even-numbered years.
Contests are also being held today in 10 other citiesin Pinellas County, as well as the town of Longboat Key, which is split between Manatee and Sarasota counties.
