When you hear the news that a town in Kentucky elected a dog
as a mayor, you assume these people have really lost their marbles. When you
hear this dog won by 13,143 votes, you grow increasingly concerned.
Fear not -- this story is a sweet one and all in good fun.
It appears that Wilbur Beast, a French Bulldog, will be the
new mayor of Rabbit Hash, Ky., population 426. Wilbur Beast unseated the incumbent, rescue pit bull Mayor Brynneth Pawltro, who was elected in 2016. The
town cast a total of 22,985 total votes, the highest number ever for a Rabbit
Hash mayoral election.
A beagle named Jack Rabbit and a golden retriever named Poppy,
who came in second and third place respectively, will have seats in the administration as
ambassadors for the town, joining Lady Stone, a border collie.
Don’t panic -- the citizens of Rabbit Hash do not have a
bunch of pups running the show; this is a fundraiser put on by the Rabbit Hash Historical Society, with proceeds going to the upkeep of the tiny town, as well as other charities as the group sees fit.
Each vote costs $1. This year’s election has raised over $13,000 and will run
online for the next month.
Voting, which also takes place at the General Store
(rebuilt from the proceeds from the last election after it was destroyed by fire
in 2016), a folk art store and a winery, is encouraged “early and often.” There’s a $10 minimum for voting online.
This election, which has been running since the 1990s, is held every four years to (in their words) “loosely” coincide with
the presidential election.
Other candidates this year included, according to the official website, “a cat [Stella the Fat Cat], a jackass [named Higgins] and several
canines” -- 16 candidates in all. They are hoping to open up the race to several other
species in the future.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence from local
supporters and people from all over the world! It’s an exciting adventure and a
deeply meaningful cause to preserve the river Hamlet town of Rabbit Hash,
Kentucky," Wilbur's campaign said in a statement of victory to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Wilbur will soon be on a victory tour, making appearances and
sniffing constituents.
Donations and votes can be made here.
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