Beasts of no party: the curious history of America's animal mayors

"Ringo's victory, announced last week, left his competitors heartbroken. Voters rejected a cat called Mango and a sugar glider called Dale."

"The mayoral positions rarely carry much executive power, but continue to exist as a quirk of American culture, the elections held in an effort to attract tourists to dusty rural towns."

"The Divide election, for example, raised $20,000 for the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter, where Ruyak works as the communications and administrative director."

The election in Divide, Colorado featured seven candidates, including Ringo the dog, who ultimately won. The town has a history of electing animals as mayors. Other candidates included a cat named Mango and a sugar glider named Dale. Napoleon the donkey was elected vice-mayor. The election raised $20,000 for the local animal shelter. Animal mayors serve as a quirky cultural tradition, attracting tourists and supporting local causes, despite having little executive power.

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