In November, Clearwater residents will vote in the city’s first-ever runoff election.
They’ll choose between Sam Wilson, 26, who works as the district director for U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, and former City Council member Mark Bunker, 70, a longtime critic of the Church of Scientology. Bunker’s last election drove the push for runoffs when no candidate secures a majority of the vote.
Two seats were up for election this year. Freelance journalist Jared Leone defeated digital marketer Bianca Latvala for Seat 4 in the Aug. 18 primary. Each council member is elected in citywide races.
Three candidates faced off in the primary for Seat 5. Wilson netted nearly 49% of the vote. Bunker earned 35%. Kevin R. T. Laughlin, a local business owner, received 16%.
“Oddly enough, the laws that were changed to prevent someone like me to get into office actually helped,” Bunker said.
Clearwater races are nonpartisan, but Wilson is a Republican and Bunker is a Democrat, and Wilson has enjoyed strong support from his party.
Their perspectives differ on some of Clearwater’s biggest current issues, including a development proposal for a 77-acre golf course and the looming statewide vote on Amendment 3.
The Church of Scientology has once again become a talking point in the election.
“I’m focused on many different issues,” Wilson said. “I try and be more broad in my approach.”
An early critic of Scientology
Bunker has spent more than two decades criticizing the Church of Scientology, which has its international spiritual headquarters in downtown Clearwater. His election to the council in 2020 represented a shift for Clearwater politics because he was the first elected official in decades to talk openly and critically about the church.
Bunker, who worked as a radio host and won an Emmy as a television journalist, came to Clearwater in 2000 from Los Angeles to work for the defunct Lisa McPherson Trust. The group formed, and was named, after a woman who died after spending 17 days in the care of Scientology.
The group would often picket in downtown Clearwater outside Scientology buildings. After a particularly confrontational protest, a Pinellas County judge instated a permanent injunction against Bunker and other members of the trust, which is still in effect. Bunker and members of the church can’t come within 10 feet of each other.
The injunction was a roadblock in 2020 when he wanted to join the Downtown Development Board, which at the time had four Scientology members. The board is now comprised of the City Council and two other elected members.
Since 2017 companies tied to the church have purchased more than 200 properties downtown, the Tampa Bay Times has reported. Its pronounced presence and involvement in Clearwater has been the center of council and community debate.
Earlier this year, a company made up of the church and other development professionals, The Cleveland Street Alliance, announced plans for new restaurants and a $50 million movie theater downtown.
The City Council was blindsided by the movie theater announcement and held a special meeting to learn more about the alliance’s plans for downtown.
Bunker said he’s concerned about the church’s approach and said “they’re using deception” to roll out plans for Cleveland Street. He described the Cleveland Street Alliance as a “front group” that does not list the church as part of the company.
“We need a booming downtown as the second economic engine to go along with the beach,” Bunker said. But he said he wants to ensure it remains “Clearwater’s downtown” and not the church’s.
Sarah Heller, a spokesperson for the church, said Bunker’s allegation that the Cleveland Street Alliance is concealing the church’s involvement is “preposterous.” During the special session, Scott Dobbins, the company’s manager, told the City Council that the church was involved.
She also said his insinuation about the church controlling downtown was insulting to the church, its members and the independent professionals and investors working on these projects.
“First, the complaint was that nothing would be built,” Heller said. “Now, with construction underway, the complaint is that somehow it is all a deception. The only constant in Bunker’s story is his hostility toward Scientology.”
Voters elected Bunker in a five-way race in 2020 when he earned less than 30% of the vote. In a 2024 referendum, voters changed the city charter to require candidates to win a majority of votes to earn a seat. He ran for re-election against Vice Mayor Ryan Cotton in 2024 but lost.
In addition to his stance on Scientology, Bunker points to other achievements while on the council, including his support of the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area and allowing for accessory dwelling units, which offer affordable housing.
Bunker has spoken against the proposal at The Landings, and said he is wary of the potential effect of reduced property taxes on local governments’ budgets.
“I can see this becoming a further entrenched MAGA council,” he said. “I think there’s a place for more reasonable candidates.”
Addressing issues facing all Clearwater residents
Wilson acknowledges he’s received campaign support from members of the church, but said he has much broader interests as a candidate.
“I’m focusing on as many issues as possible, and I’m not just staying put on one single issue,” he said.
Wilson said members of Scientology are not supporting him because he stands specifically for them but because he’s addressing issues that matter to all residents in Clearwater.
“If people support my campaign, it’s not for me to sit back and marginalize them,” Wilson said. “I don’t view anyone in a specific box. I just view everyone as residents of Clearwater.”
As far as the church’s development projects downtown, he said he believes people will appreciate having a large entertainment venue to draw business, regardless of who is behind it.
“People always complain there’s not enough stuff to do,” Wilson said. “I don’t think people will talk too much about who owns buildings when there’s a great entertainment center.”
Additionally, Wilson said his goal is to put residents’ interests first and doesn’t think it’s productive to divide people based on their beliefs. He has said he’s focused on making Clearwater more affordable, promoting government transparency and making the city resilient to hurricanes.
Wilson said it’s too early to speculate on the effect of property taxes, and the city will have a new council in November that will have different ideas on saving money. For The Landings, he said the process should remain transparent and include resident input.
“I think I was only maybe 400 or 500 votes from getting 50% percent,” Wilson said. “I’m just going to work as hard as possible to get over that threshold.”
Campaign support and contributions
Wilson out-raised both his opponents in the primary. His campaign has reported nearly $61,000 in contributions, in addition to more than $34,000 to a political committee supporting his candidacy.
Local and state Republicans, including the mayor, state Rep. Berny Jacques, state Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Luna, have backed Wilson, which he credits to years of building connections. The party — at the local and state level — has also paid for campaign ads against Bunker that focus on his party affiliation and a past bankruptcy.
“It’s very humbling to have a lot of the support I do,” Wilson said. “It just goes to show that these individuals, they think I’m the best person to serve in this capacity and to lead Clearwater.”
Bunker does not have a political committee supporting him. He’s raised more than $12,000. But campaign finance reports show that, similarly to his previous bids for office, he’s receiving financial support from people across the country, including in Virginia, Hawaii, Texas and Pennsylvania.
“I think there’s a place for more reasonable candidates,” Bunker said. “I’m seeing on the council in the last couple of years a lot of tension. A lot of anger and bitterness. A lot of snapping at people.”
