Alaska town: Feline mayor is the cat’s pajamas
In this Wednesday, July 11, 2012 photo provided by Sandy Bubar, a cat named Stubbs lies on a tarp in an alley in Talkeetna, Alaska. Locals know him as Mayor Stubbs, a 15-year-old yellow cat who has been overseeing the town since shortly after he was born. KTUU-TV reports that residents didn't like the candidates who were running for mayor years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. Talkeetna is at the base of Mount McKinley and has nearly 900 residents. (AP Photo/Sandy Bubar)
TALKEETNA, Alaska (AP) — The mayor of a sleepy Alaska town is feline fine.
The part-Manx cat clawed his way onto the political scene of Talkeetna, Alaska, through a write-in campaign shortly after he was born 15 years ago.
KTUU-TV reported Friday that residents didn’t like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The town has nearly 900 residents.
Although his position is honorary, Stubbs’ popularity is real. His election earned him enough press to catapult the town at the base of Mount McKinley into a tourist destination.
Residents say they’re happy that their stubby-tailed mayor is promoting tourism. The general store where Stubbs hangs out says it gets dozens of tourists a day asking for him.