Posted: November 6, 2008, 5 a.m. EST
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Honorary mayor of Rabbit Hash,
Ky., Border Collie Lucy Lou |
In Rabbit Hash, Ky., the most hotly contested race of the 2008 election was for the mayor’s seat, and while Travis the cat put up a good fight, it was a Border Collie named Lucy Lou who won the most votes.
Three official residents live in the town on the banks of the Ohio River, yet Lucy Lou managed to win 8,085 votes. The feline placed third with 3,721 votes. An English Springer Spaniel named Toby was the first runner-up with 4,596 votes.
Bobbi Kayser, owner of the new honorary mayor, explained that for this election, voters were able to cast their ballots, repeatedly, from all around the world via the Rabbit Hash Historical Society’s website. For the locals, the general store served as a polling site.
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Travis the cat |
While Travis the cat came up short in his effort to capture the most votes with a message of change, he helped contribute to the total amount raised in the election: $21,200. The money goes to maintain the town’s historical integrity. Lucy Lou promises to lend a paw to all fundraising events and activities, Kayser said.
“It’s so not the hillbilly Kentucky that you think it might be,” she said, noting that many artists and musicians are attracted to Rabbit Hash for its strong sense of community and timeless quality.
Lucy Lou follows in the footsteps of Junior, a black Labrador Retriever who served as mayor from 2004 until he died in 2008. The first canine mayor, a mixed breed named Goofy, was elected in 1998.
Lucy Lou and Travis competed with candidates that included a miniature donkey named Higgins whose campaign slogan was “Put a jackass in charge,” as well as nine other dogs, one opossum, and a human.