Small Michigan Town Elects Dog Mayor

In the small town of Omena, Michigan, there is a political tradition that is unheard of in most towns. The most recently elected mayor is Rosie Disch – a yellow lab!

The village of Omena is an unincorporated village with no president or mayor with a population of fewer than 300 people. Because of this, for the fifth year in a row, the town has elected an animal as mayor. This kind of election has been going on for over a decade, with elections occurring every three years. In the past, there have been dogs and cats that have served as mayor, but chickens and goats have also campaigned.

There were nineteen candidates running for the last mayor of Omena. These candidates campaign on several different platforms where each “vote” for a candidate is one dollar donated toward the Omena Historical Society. The candidates come up with campaigns, biographies, and actions that they are passionate about, whether it be animal disability acts or animal cruelty acts. 

Whichever animal gains the largest number of votes, becomes the town’s next mayor. The runner-ups typically become vice mayors or other special positions such as special assistants for fowl affairs or press secretary.

Although these positions are all purely ceremonial, these animals will appear at events and hold meetings with surrounding towns’ mayors. 

The main goal, organizers say, is to have fun and see the creativity behind the animal candidates. They say that they want to make politics fun, which is something you do not always get to see anymore. To get everyone involved, no matter where you are located, anyone in the world is able to cast a vote online or in person. 

This year’s election for mayor raised over $14,000 for the Omena Historical Society, which is more than what most small towns’ historical societies could dream of.