Bill Mutz defeats QAnon-linked opponent to secure second term as Lakeland Mayor

Incumbent Mayor Bill Mutz defeated far-right political newcomer Saga Stevin Tuesday to lock in his second four-year term as Lakeland’s Mayor.

Unofficial results from the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office show Mutz took 67% of the vote, while Stevin scored 33%, with all precincts reporting. Turnout was low in Polk County with only 20% of voters casting ballots, according to the Supervisor’s Office.

Lakeland’s mayoral race was unexpectedly contentious. It became more about idealogical differences and right-wing talking points than the real issues facing the city, including the fact that it has experienced the second-highest population growth in the country, according to Census data.

Billy Townsend is an activist and blogger in Lakeland. He runs the site Public Enemy Number 1. Townsend said the race was crucial for Lakeland’s growth and for the city to be taken seriously as a part of the I-4 Corridor.

“We could have woken up with a Q-anon/Jan. 6/Trump mayor. And the people rejected it handily,” he said. “It’s also a warning. Nobody wants a Trump running their community. Saga split the Lakeland GOP right in two. And a coalition of RINOs, democrats, independents, and decent normal people showed that a Trump can’t win at the local level, even in Florida. The GOP should take note.”

The race was nonpartisan and candidates’ political affiliation did not appear on the ballot. But Mutz and Stevin are both Republicans. Stevin, however, spent much of the campaign trying to paint Mutz as a “leftist” who supports “marxist” organizations.

Mutz is a Lakeland businessman who spent nearly 20 years running the Lakeland Automall.

Stevin grew up in Lakeland but lived in Minneapolis for 24 years. She moved back last year.

In one of her final campaign newsletters, Stevin falsely claimed Mutz spent more than $12,000 of city money to join the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a center-left organization that adopts policy guidelines. Kevin Cook, the city’s spokesperson, confirmed to Gary White of the Ledger that Mutz has never been a member of the organization.

Stevin told the Ledger someone on her campaign team wrote the newsletter and she just went with it.

The newsletter is almost identical to a post on the Lakeland Gazette website and emails sent by the unregistered Citizens Voices of Greater Lakeland PAC. Citizens Voices and the Gazette share an address, but Gazette owner Robert Anderson said he’s not part of Citizens Voices and Stevin claims to not know who he is.

Both the Gazette and Citizens Voices endorsed Stevin.

Stevin also expressed extremist views, many of which are aligned with fanatical supporters of former President Donald Trump and the internet conspiracy QAnon. She criticized Mutz for moving a Confederate monument from one of the city’s keystone parks and claimed in debates that billionaire George Soros is somehow influencing politics in Lakeland.

Despite those views, she scored crucial endorsements from police and firefighter unions in Lakeland. She was also  endorsed by former Lakeland Mayor Howard Wiggs. Wiggs was a member of the Mayor’s conference Stevin falsely accused Mutz of belonging too. And he spent more than $5,000 of city money to be a part of it.

The latest campaign finance data shows Mutz raised about $72,000 and spent about $40,000. Stevin raised $56,000 and spent nearly $50,000.