The United States is known for its unique political system, but did you know that some animals have been elected to public office? From dogs to cats, goats to mules, some communities have chosen to elect animals as their mayors or committee persons. While most of these animals serve in ceremonial roles, some have even been elected to positions such as governor.
In this article, we will explore the top 9 animals that have been elected to office in the United States.
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Top 9 Animals Elected To Office In The United States
Mayor Duke the Great Pyrenees – Cormorant, Minnesota
Duke, a Great Pyrenees dog, was elected as the honorary mayor of Cormorant, a small village in Minnesota, in 2014. He served as the village’s ambassador to the public and was universally loved by the community.
Duke was a humble farm dog before he was elected as the mayor. He passed away on February 21, 2019, at the age of 13. Duke was elected to the mayor’s seat of Cormorant Township four times since 2014. He retired in June 2018 after serving as the ceremonial mayor for four years.
Mayor Stubbs the Cat – Talkeetna, Alaska
Stubbs was a cat who served as the honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, from July 18, 1997, until his death in 2017. He was born on April 12, 1997, in Talkeetna, Alaska. Stubbs was a tourist attraction and drew 30 to 40 tourists each day who hoped to meet “the mayor”.
His position was honorary, as the town is only a historic district. Stubbs was featured in an effort to protest the 2014 United States Senate election in Alaska when people urged voters to write Stubbs in on the ballot.
Stubbs was also featured in a video criticizing both the Democratic and Republican candidates for Senate. Stubbs passed away on July 21, 2017, at the age of 20.
Mayor Lucy Lou the Border Collie – Rabbit Hash, Kentucky
Lucy Lou was a border collie who served as the mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, from 2008 to 2016. She was the third dog to be elected as the mayor of Rabbit Hash, following Goofy, the first canine mayor.
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Lucy Lou broke the glass ceiling in 2008, becoming the first female to be elected as the mayor of Rabbit Hash. She was a beloved figure in the community and was known for her friendly personality. Lucy Lou passed away on September 10, 2018, at the age of 12.
Mayor Bosco the Black Labrador Retriever – Sunol, California
Bosco Ramos was a black Labrador retriever and Rottweiler mix who was elected as the honorary mayor of the unincorporated community of Sunol, California in 1981.
Bosco defeated two human candidates to win the election and served as the mayor until his death in 1994. He was a beloved figure in the community and achieved international attention when the British tabloid the Daily Star covered his election, describing Sunol as “the wackiest town in the world”.
Bosco also appeared as a contestant on the game show 3rd Degree, where the panelists failed to guess his occupation. In response to the Chinese newspaper the People’s Daily reporting on his tenure as an alleged example of the failings of the American electoral process, Sunol residents commented that the dog’s office was “merely a joke”.
A statue of Bosco was erected in front of the town Post Office in 2008, designed by the Russian sculptor Lena Toritch.
Mayor Sweet Tart the Cat – Omena, Michigan
Sweet Tart is a cat who was elected as the mayor of Omena, a small village in northwest Michigan, in 2018. She was inaugurated as the fourth mayor of Omena, and she won the election by raising more than $7,000.
Sweet Tart served on the Omena Village Council from 2012 to 2015, and she had been vice mayor for the past three years before being elected as the mayor. She was re-elected in 2021, running against a goat, a chicken, and at least a dozen dogs.
Sweet Tart’s press secretary is goat Harley Jones, and chicken Penny Labriola is “special assistant for fowl issues”. Omena’s mayoral elections are a fundraiser for the Omena Historical Society, and only Omena animals can run for the position.
Mayor Clay Henry III the Goat – Lajitas, Texas
Clay Henry III was a goat who served as the mayor of Lajitas, a small town in Texas. He was elected in 2000, following the tradition of electing goats as mayors in Lajitas.
Clay Henry III was known for his love of beer, and he was often seen drinking beer with the locals. He was also famous for his ability to open beer cans with his teeth.
Clay Henry III was killed by a jealous man who attacked and castrated him in 2002. After his death, his stuffed carcass was put on display at the Terlingua Trading Post. While goats no longer drink beer in Lajitas, Clay Henry III remains a beloved figure in the town’s history.
Mayor Thelonious Monk the Rabbit – Fair Haven, Vermont
Thelonious Monk is a renowned jazz musician, but there is no information available about a rabbit named Thelonious Monk serving as the mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont.
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The search results primarily focus on the musician and his contributions to the jazz world. It is possible that the information about a rabbit mayor in Fair Haven, Vermont, is not widely documented or may be a local legend.
Mayor Wilbur the Pig – Cormorant, Minnesota
Wilbur is a French bulldog who was elected as the mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, in 2020. Rabbit Hash has a tradition of electing animals as mayors for fundraising events for the historical society, and Wilbur is the fifth dog to be elected as the mayor of the hamlet.
Wilbur’s owner, Amy Noland, ran his campaign for mayor because she wanted to bring something positive to the news amidst the negative media surrounding the presidential election and COVID-19.
Wilbur has been handling the stress of his new job well, and he has done many interviews and received lots of pets and belly scratches. The previous mayor of Rabbit Hash was a pit bull named Brynn, who served from 2016 to 2020.
Mayor Brynneth Pawltro the Pit Bull – Rabbit Hash, Kentucky
Brynneth Pawltro, also known as Mayor Brynn, was a brown and white pit bull who served as the mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, from 2016 to 2020. She was elected as the fourth mayor of Rabbit Hash in 2016, and she was the first female dog to be elected as the mayor of the town.
Brynneth Pawltro was a beloved figure in the community and was known for her friendly personality. She was defeated in the 2020 mayoral election by Wilbur, a French bulldog.
The town of Rabbit Hash has a tradition of electing animals as mayors for fundraising events for the historical society, and only animals that live in the town can run for the position.
FAQS
1. What animals have been elected to office in the United States?
Dogs, cats, mules, goats, cows, and even a pig have been elected to office in the United States.
2. What kind of roles do these animals serve in public office?
Most of these animals serve in ceremonial roles since most states and communities have official rules that say that a candidate must be a certain age and sign their legal name to get on the ballot. However, some of these animals have been elected to positions such as mayor, committeeperson, and even governor.
3. Why do communities elect animals to public office?
Communities elect animals to public office for various reasons, including fundraising for the historical society, promoting tourism, and bringing positive news amidst negative media.
4. Can animals legally run for public office in the United States?
Electoral regulations may explicitly require candidates to be human (or equivalent wording), or they may require candidates to do things which animals cannot reasonably do (such as sign their names legibly on legal forms). Most constituencies require candidates to be of the age of a legal adult, which eliminates many animals whose life expectancies usually make them too young to ever qualify. However, on some occasions, animals have been accepted as candidates, and they have even won office.
5. What is the history behind animals being elected to public office in the United States?
The tradition of electing animals to public office in the United States dates back to the 19th century. The reasons for electing animals to public office have varied over time, but it is often done for fundraising or promotional purposes.
Source: https://petstutorial.com
Category: Animals
