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 cities in Pinellas County, as well as the town of Longboat Key, which is split between Manatee and Sarasota counties.
