Dog Elected As Mayor: Cormorant Township, MN Re-Elected A Great Pyrenees As Mayor For Third Term
The people of Cormorant Township, Minnesota, have taken democracy to its extreme as they’ve re-elected Duke, a 9-year-old Great Pyrenees, to third term as mayor. The little town had a population of 1,039, according to the 2010 census, and is about 50 miles east of Fargo, North Dakota, according to the New York Post.
“Three years ago, it happened by accident,” said Duke’s owner, David Rick. “You pay a dollar and you can vote.
“Everybody voted for Duke, except for one vote for his girlfriend, Lassie,” Rick told WDAY-TV.
“I don’t know who would run against him, because he’s done such great things for the community,” said Cormorant resident Karen Nelson.
Duke the dog wins re-election as mayor of small Minn. town https://t.co/myTykTozvh pic.twitter.com/qkZv3tcJht
— KSDK NewsChannel 5 (@ksdknews) August 23, 2016
Duke won the election during an event called Cormorant Daze. Duke originally defeated store owner Richard Sherbrook in 2014 for the office of mayor of Cormorant Township. Only 12 votes were cast in the 2014 election, but that didn’t stop Duke from becoming a celebrity.
Tammy Odegaard, event organizer and member of Duke’s staff, told CBS Minnesota that they wanted to “have him put his little paw on the Bible” while they read the oath of office to him, according to Buzzfeed.
“Of course, he’s not going to repeat it,” she said. “It would be awesome if he would bark, but who knows? He’s a country dog, so he’s not used to performing on cue.”
“You are about to embark upon a great time of service, and tremendous personal and professional growth,” Steve Sorenson, chairman of Cormorant Township, told Duke at the 2014 inauguration ceremony.
“If you accept this challenge and these responsibilities, please bark or pant,” he said.
Duke panted.
Small Minnesota town re-elects dog to third term as mayor https://t.co/pEUPuX5Uzo
— FOX2now (@FOX2now) August 23, 2016
This is truly an incredible story when you consider what we’re dealing with when it comes to the presidential election. On the one hand, we have Hillary Clinton, who is highly qualified for the top position in the land but also who put national security at major risk with her negligence in using her personal email account while serving as the secretary of state under President Barack Obama.
On the other hand, we have Donald Trump, who has no political background and who has been all over the place in debates and speeches. Many view Trump as a bigot, conman, and someone who would put the country in danger with his radical ideas. There are others who believe that Trump not being a politician makes him the best man for the job because he will pull back the involvement of government in everyday life.
Possibly, we as Americans should look at the other options like Cormorant Township did with Duke. Maybe we should give serious attention to the Libertarian Party and Gary Johnson or even Jill Stein and the Green Party. That’s the great thing about Democracy: Just because Clinton and Trump are the two most talked-about options, we have the right to vote for whoever we want.
There are probably a number of people who will read this article and find it cute or funny, which is fine, but try to take something away from it. If Americans want to vote a dog into office, they can. If Americans want to vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, or Michael Jordan, they can. It’s the beauty of living in a democracy, so don’t forget that as you decide whether or not to vote this November.
As for Duke, congratulations on your third term. Hopefully, there are many more to come.
[Photo by iStock]
