20 Animals Who Actually Ran For Office And Won – See The Cutest Animal Politicians
When politicians wear out their welcome with the public there is no better cure than animals! Put a dog in a tie and it makes a great mayoral candidate. Slap a bow tie on a cat and it becomes the purrfect presidential nominee. There is no chicken soup better for the soul when politics get you down than turning to the internet for adorable animals. Here's a list of animals that ran for political office to help brighten your day!
Crawfish B. Crawfish Say No To Boils
Tired of Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal winning another term of re-election, one brave crustacean crawled up to shore for the battle of his short lifetime. This is how the legend of Crawfish B. Crawfish was born. Starting on Facebook, Crawfish just wanted to get more likes than Jindal to prove himself as a serious competitor. The mission was a massive success and Crawfish sent Jindal to the boiler.
Later, after Jindal announced his intention to run for President. Crawfish B. Crawfish scuttled into action again! Crawfish registered with the Federal Elections Commision as an independent candidate, announcing a platform based on environmental responsibility, gender equality, and access to education. Jindal didn't win, and neither did Crawfish B. Crawfish...but we all know who the real winner in our hearts is.
Bosco Is Good Mayor Doggo
Not every politician gets a statue made in their honor. Then again, Bosco the Dog is not every politician. Living in the unincorporated town of Sunol, California, Bosco ran for honorary mayor in 1981. The Rottweiler and black Lab mix lapped the competition, defeating two human challengers in the process to win the election.
Nose raised high and always ready for a good shake, Bosco proudly served Sunol until 1984 when his term ended. The memory of Bosco lived on, however, and after he sadly shook his last hand the town erected a statue in his honor. This is one doggo that truly answered the question, "who's a good boy?"
Stubbs The Cat Has Served For Two Decades
Stubbs the Cat is just your basic orange tabby housecat. That is, except for the fact that he was honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska from 1997 until his passing in 2017. For those 20 years, however, Stubbs was the purrfect example of what a good politician should be.
Named for his missing tail, Stubbs made it his duty during life to remind the townspeople what it meant to be a community. He could be seen around town hitching rides on garbage trucks among other things. He got into his fair share of trouble too, one time falling into a deep fryer! Luckily the heat wasn't on and Stubbs lived to nap another afternoon!
Clay Moore Henry Is The Most Noble Goat Of Them All
For Clay Moore Henry, politics runs in the bloodlines. This special goat is the third in a long line mayoral goats in the unincorporated town of Lajitas. The first goat named Clay Henry was elected mayor in the 1980s. After angering a rival goat, Henry was felled in a fight, and his son, Clay Henry II replaced him.
Elections have continued to follow the Henry family bloodline. Clay Henry II gave way to Clay Henry III, and in 2008, Clay Moore Henry won the election over Clay Henry III and still maintains his office today. While there is some chattering that a human might run against Clay Moore Henry during the next election cycle, no oats to the rumors have been sewn.
Tiao The Chimpanzee Swings With The Big Boys[caption caption="Fulviusbsas/Wikimedia Commons" align="alignnone" id="attachment_26330" width="800"][/caption]
In 1988 Rio De Janeiro had a mayoral problem. There were two candidates running, both human, and both despised by the general public. Seeing an opportunity for promotion, the Rio De Janeiro Zoo started a mayoral campaign for Tiao, one of their most popular chimpanzees.
The zoo sold T-shirts and held rallies for Tiao, ultimately turning the ape into a low hanging symbol of protest. When results of the election were released, Tiao surprisingly placed third, earning 400,000 votes and a lifetime supply of bananas! After Tiao passed on, the zoo put up the statue you see above as a reminder to the population about the power of the people's voice.
Pigasus Oinks For The People!
Pigasus the pig is a great symbol of hope among animal politicians. Getting his start in 1968 through the help of his supporters, Pigasus almost won the Democratic nomination in the 1968 Presidential election! Backed by the Youth Internationatonal Party, the trough flipped over during Pigasus' speech.
Apparently, Chicago has a law that makes it illegal to bring live swine into the city limits. As Jerry Rubin was reading Pigasus' acceptance speed, Chicago police showed up, took Pigasus away (hopefully not to a farm in the countryside), and arrested the "Chicago Seven" for conspiring with the animal. Trust us, you can't make this story up!
Cacareco Wins By Popular Demand
1959 was a very different time in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was a time when a simple rhinoceros with zero political aspirations could win the popular vote. Cacareco was a five-year-old rhino at the time when her name was put on the ballot as a nominee for Sao Paulo's empty city council seat.
With 540 other names on the ballot, Cacareco stormed through and back kicked the competition to a resounding victory. Despite being placed on the ballot as a joke (the name Cacareco translates to "garbage"), the rhinoceros' victory demonstrated Sao Paulo's citizens' displeasure with the city's politics. Officials of the city were quick to nullify the results and held another vote, rhinoceros free, one week later.
Morris The Cat Naps His Way Into Office... Almost
In the United States, Morris the Cat is the known as the mascot of Friskies cat food. In the city of Xalapa, Mexico, Morris the Cat is famous for more political reasons. In 2013 Morris (no relation the cat food icon) ran for Mayor of Xalapa. The black and white feline ran on a platform supporting plenty of napping.
Morris' political agenda resonated with the people of Xalapa. They stormed his social media with likes and sent 12,000 write-in votes his way. Morris didn't quite head-boop the competition, but he did place fourth out of 11 candidates. Not bad for career sleeper!
Boston Curtis Is A Mule With No Tools
Fifty-one votes were all it took for brown mule Boston Curtis to be elected committeeman of Milton, Washington in 1938. The Republican animal was originally placed on the ballot by the city's Mayor, Kenneth Simmons, in a political stunt to prove his oddball voting theory correct. Simmons believed that voters, "have no idea whom they support." They definitely had no idea at the time Boston Curtis was an animal!
Simmons, a Democrat, also wanted to embarrass the Republican party by having their symbol literally represent them in office. Boston Curtis, for his part, did absolutely nothing. He had no political platform or background and ran unopposed. We guess there was just no better candidate!
Colossus Runs Out Of The Jungle And Into Our Hearts
Colossus the giant gorilla, also known as Tony the silverback gorilla, was one of the largest apes ever raised in captivity. He also ran for President in 1980 as a publicity stunt for Benson's Wild Animal Park. Located in Hudson, New Hampshire, Benson's used Colossus to draw attention to the failing zoo by having the behemoth run in the primaries as both a Democrat and Republican.
Colossus, however, was no competition for Hollywood icon Ronald Reagan that year and never ran for office again. He is, however, included in classic trading card sets as a "serious candidate." Benson's, despite the publicity, closed in 1987 and Colossus moved to the Cincinnati Zoo where he lived the rest of his life.
Hank The Cat Overcomes His Troubled Past
Found on the streets and nearly euthanized as a kitten, Hank the Cat had a rough start to life. With the dogs on his tail, Hank found his way off the streets and into a loving home. According to his biography, Hank gave up his new found life of napping to study full-time, eventually getting his degree in business and starting a few successful ones of his own.
Hank's first political campaign was a flop. He ran for Virginia State Senate and only received nine votes. Undeterred, he decided next to run for United States Senate next as the only "real" candidate. Grassroots support saw Hank finish third in the vote, cementing his political legacy as a cat for the people.
Tuxedo Stand Won't Stand For Neglect
Few animal politicians were as outgoing as Tuxedo Stan during the careers. At three-years-old Stan ran for the mayorship of Halifax, Nova Scotia. With a growing population of feral cats threatening to overrun the town, Stan jumped into the cardboard box of politics, desperate for change. His message to "spay and neuter your pets" struck gold with his growing group of supporters.
Using the tagline, "neglect isn't working," Stan quickly rose to prominence in the electoral cycle. He even won endorsements by American television stars Ellen DeGenerous and Anderson Cooper. Sadly, Stan's purrfect campaign ended before it ever really began since cats cannot actually register on the ballot in Nova Scotia.
Sausage The Dog Is The People's Hero
Saved from a garbage can as a puppy, Sausage the dog quickly became a detective turned politician in France. Adopted after his rescue by a publishing company, the Dachshund became the company's mascot and central protagonist in a number of detective stories.
In 2001, Sausage left the noir pages of Marseille and became a politician, registering in the municipal elections of the region. Despite losing, Sausage won 4.5 percent of the vote and wound up starring on France's version of Big Brother. One year later writer Serge Scott ran his dog for French President. After starting a puplitical revolution and living a full life of 16-years, Sausage found his way to doggy heaven in 2014.
Rabbit Hash Keeps Tradition Alive With Brynn
Another unincorporated city that loves animals just the right amount, Rabbit Hash, Kentucky has a longstanding tradition of electing dogs as mayors. The most recent mayor of Rabbit Hash is Brynneth Pawltro, a three-year-old pit bull who also goes simply by "Brynn."
Brynn won her election in 2017 on a platform promoting peace and love in her hometown. She is known for being very social and enjoys licking residents to say hello whenever she has the chance. Rabbit Hash elects a new mayor every four years, giving Brynn plenty of time to prove to the citizens why she deserves multiple terms! Mayors before Brynneth Pawltro were named Lucy Lou, Junior, and Goofy.
Duke The Dog Is Written In
Serving his third term as Mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota, Duke the Dog is one of the greatest animal politicians of all time! Running unopposed to win his third term it's safe to say everyone loved Duke. Of course, times weren't always so easy for Duke. Well, they were still pretty easy actually.
In 2014 Duke won the election for the first time with a landslide write-in victory. After a five-week election period, 12 people paid one dollar each to cast their vote. Duke skipped away from the victor and has protected the township ever since. Today, Duke tries not to let his political fame get to his head, preferring to bury his own bones rather than have someone bury them for him.
Goofy Is The Original Mayor Of Rabbit Hash
Ingo Barth/ullsteinbild via Getty Images
It's time to head back to Rabbit Hash and learn the origins of their animal mayors. The year was 1998 and the dog was a German Shephard named Goofy. The idea of having an honorary mayor began as a church fundraiser. Townspeople were allowed to pay a small fee and vote as many times as they wanted for their favorite candidate.
Goofy ran against a human that year and the final results weren't even close, with the lovable pup receiving 8,000 votes. After Goofy was elected, Rabbit Hash never looked back. After Goofy, Junior was elected, followed by Lucy Lou (the first female dog mayor of the town!) and the currently serving Brynneth Pawltro.
Willie Bean Roscoe P Coltrane Makes A Difference
A yellow Labrador retriever from Fairhope, Alabama, Willie Bean Roscoe P Coltrane, is the rare pupetician who actually makes a difference. Running for Mayor of Fairhope in 2010, Willie Bean's candidacy started as a joke but took on a life of its own after gaining national media attention. Tired of politicians placing political signs outside his coffee shop, Willie's owner Tress Turner entered his dog in the race to free his lawn.
Willie Bean Rosco P Coltrane, despite his pawesome name, did not get serious consideration as a mayoral candidate. Since then he has continued to fight for change as a political figure in his community. Today he is the icon for Baldwin Animal Rescue Center, a Humane society group, and has helped raise over $2,000 towards the groups cause.
Giggles The Pig Goes Snout To Face With Hardened Criminals
In 2015 Giggles the pig (real name) ran for Mayor of Flint, Michigan. Giggles was able to run in the incorporated city of Flint because Michigan law says nothing about animals not being electable candidates. Shockingly, two of Giggles opponents in the race were criminals, one who had just finished served 20 years in prison for murder!
Even more shocking, one of Giggles' opponents actually promised to roast and eat the adorable pig after being elected. How rude! Undeterred by the political threats, Giggles carried on until Michigan passed a last-minute law prohibiting animals from entering political office. The move came as Giggles write-in campaign was gaining too much steam in the struggling city.
Billy Gumboot Made It Impossible To Lose
Billy Gumboot was such a sly goat during his brief political career he made it nearly impossible to beat him. Originally elected the President of Whangamomona in 1999, Gumboot won after eating the other opponents' ballots! With nothing in the rulebooks against this devious act, Gilly Gumboot officially became the first animal elected President of the region.
Two years into his historic run as President of Whangamomona, Billy Gumboot died in office (unknown causes). The stage was set for more animals to be elected President of the region, or more recently a human nicknamed "turtle." It was probably the only way he had a chance!
Tama The Cat Runs The Station
Here's Tama the Cat, the longtime station manager at Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The station, facing a shut down in 2007 decided to elect Tama as their new station manager. The move saved the company from paying an employee's salary and allowed Tama to rise through the ranks of the train station.
For her services, Tama got a shiny new hat and a lifetime supply of cat food. Look at her in that hat! With business suddenly booming, the feline public official was promoted again to superstation manager in a ceremony that was attended by the city's mayor. Although not technically elected to public office (but working a government job), we think Tama deserves recognition for the good she has done for the local economy, boosting it by an unofficial 1.1 billion yen!
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