Minnesota Town Elects Dog Mayor Named Duke For The Third Time

A dog, named Duke, has been re-elected as mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota, in a landslide election over the weekend. The nine-year-old Great Pyrenees won his third term as mayor.

His political career took off three years ago when he won the honorary post as a write-in candidate by 12 votes. Voters pay $1 to vote in the fundraising event for the annual Cormorant Daze event.

“Three years ago, it happened by accident, it was a write in vote. You pay a dollar and you can vote,” Duke's owner David Rick reportedly said. At the end of his second term, Duke had one of the highest approval ratings in the country.

“Everybody voted for Duke, except for one vote for his girlfriend, Lassie,” Rick added.

“He’s done such great things for the community,” Karen Nelson, who calls herself as “Mayor Duke’s caretaker,” reportedly said. “I don’t know who would run against him.”

Duke has become a local celebrity of sorts with his very own Facebook page and was even featured in publications like National Geographic.

“His companion is my little black Chihuahua, Sparky - they go round together in David's truck. It used to be like ‘Homeward Bound’ when I had my cat, Milo,” Nelson added. She claimed that visitors ask for “Mayor Duke” to snap pictures with him.