Animals as electoral candidates
Encyclopedia
Non-human electoral candidates have been found in a number of countries. Often, the candidacies are a means of casting a protest vote
or satirizing
the political system. Other times, it is simply done for the entertainment value.
Electoral regulations may explicitly require candidates to be human (or equivalent wording) (notably, the United States presidency has no such specific requirement, only age, residency and natural-born citizenship), or may require candidates to do things which animals cannot reasonably do (such as sign their name legibly on a legal form). On some occasions, however, animals have been accepted as candidates, and have even won office.
Several animals in the US have been elected mayors of small towns such as Rabbit Hash, Kentucky
, whose mayor is a black lab named Junior Cochran, and Lajitas, Texas
, whose mayor is a beer-drinking goat named Clay Henry III. Both Rabbit Hash and Lajitas are unincorporated towns where the mayoralty is purely a ceremonial position, not an actual leader of government.
had a hit with a recording entitled "The Monkey That Became President" which considered a scenario in which said animal was elected to office.
Protest vote
A protest vote is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate the caster's unhappiness with the choice of candidates or refusal of the current political system...
or satirizing
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
the political system. Other times, it is simply done for the entertainment value.
Electoral regulations may explicitly require candidates to be human (or equivalent wording) (notably, the United States presidency has no such specific requirement, only age, residency and natural-born citizenship), or may require candidates to do things which animals cannot reasonably do (such as sign their name legibly on a legal form). On some occasions, however, animals have been accepted as candidates, and have even won office.
Examples
- IncitatusIncitatusIncitatus was the favored horse of Roman emperor Caligula. Its name is a Latin adjective meaning "swift" or "at full gallop".According to Suetonius's Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Incitatus had a stable of marble, with an ivory manger, purple blankets, and a collar of precious stones...
, the horse of CaligulaCaligulaCaligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
, who it is alleged became a consul and a priest. - Molly the Dog, a dachshundDachshundThe dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
from Oklahoma, named as a candidate in the U.S. presidential election, 2008. - Morris the catMorris the CatMorris the Cat is the advertising mascot for 9Lives brand cat food, appearing on its packaging and in many of its television commercials. A large orange tabby tom, he is "the world's most finicky cat", and prefers only 9Lives brand, making this preference clear by means of humorously sardonic...
"ran" as a candidate in the U.S. presidential election, 1988 and the U.S. presidential election, 1992. - Pigasus the ImmortalPigasus (politics)Pigasus was a pig and was a satiric candidate for President of the United States for the Youth International Party . The pig's name was a play on Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology. Led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, Pigasus was purchased by Phil Ochs and the candidacy was announced...
, a boar hog that the Yippies nominated as a candidate in the U.S. presidential election, 1968. - Cacareco, a rhinocerosRhinocerosRhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
at the São PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
zoo, was a candidate for the 1958 city council elections with the intention of protesting against political corruption. Electoral officials, of course, did not accept Cacareco's candidacy, but he eventually won 100,000 votes, more than any other party in that same election (which was also marked by rampant absenteeismAbsenteeismAbsenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence from a duty or obligation. Traditionally, absenteeism has been viewed as an indicator of poor individual performance, as well as a breach of an implicit contract between employee and employer; it was seen as a management problem, and framed in economic...
). Today, the term "Voto Cacareco" (Cacareco vote) is commonly used to describe protest votes in Brazil. Cacareco's candidacy inspired the Rhinoceros Party of Canada, nominally led by the rhinoceros Cornelius the FirstCornelius the FirstCornelius the First was a Canadian black rhinoceros from the Granby Zoo in Granby, Quebec, who was the nominal leader of the federal political party, the Rhinoceros Party of Canada from 1965 to 1993...
. - Tião, a bad-tempered chimpanzeeChimpanzeeChimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
, was put forward by the fictional Brazilian Banana Party (Partido Bananista Brasileiro, actually the satirical group Casseta & PlanetaCasseta & PlanetaCasseta & Planeta is a Brazilian group of comedians who run a TV show named Casseta & Planeta Urgente, broadcast by Rede Globo. The humour featured on the show is mostly satirical, relating to religious or ethical groups, and minorities .The group founded a company called...
) as a candidate for the Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
mayoralty in 1988. The campaign's slogan was "Vote monkey - get monkey" (because people were tired of voting for one platform and then seeing the elected officials implementing another one). There is no official counting (because all votes were recorded as "null"), but it's estimated that Tião received over 400,000 votes, coming third. - Katten Mickelin (Mickelin the Cat) was the leader of the Swedish Ezenhemmer Plastic Bags and Child Rearing Utensils Party.
- New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's McGillicuddy Serious PartyMcGillicuddy Serious PartyThe McGillicuddy Serious Party operated as a satirical political party in New Zealand politics during the late 20th century. Between 1984 and 1999, McGillicuddy Serious provided "colour" to New Zealand politics to ensure that citizens not take the political process too seriously...
entered a goat in a local Waiheke IslandWaiheke IslandWaiheke Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, located about from Auckland.The island is the second-largest in the Hauraki Gulf after Great Barrier Island. It is the most populated, with nearly 8,000 permanent residents plus another estimated 3,400 who have second or holiday homes...
election, but their attempt to have a hedgehog stand for ParliamentParliament of New ZealandThe Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
was unsuccessful. - Dustin the TurkeyDustin the TurkeyDustin the Turkey is a puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989. A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag. Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in...
, a popular Irish television puppet received thousands of votes in the Republic of Ireland'sRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
1997 presidential election. Although not being an official candidate there are rumours that he came in fifth, ahead of official candidate Derek NallyDerek NallyDerek Nally was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1997 Irish presidential election, the only male to stand in that election. A retired Garda and victims' rights campaigner, he received the nominations of five county councils. He received 59,529 votes – the lowest of the five...
. - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film maker Michael MooreMichael MooreMichael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
attempted to get a potted ficusFicusFicus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
tree onto the ballot in a local election. - Donald DuckDonald DuckDonald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
has often been nominated for student body presidentStudent body presidentThe President of the Student Government is the highest ranking officer of a student government or student union association on the high school, college, or university level...
in schools by students who wish to play jokes or those who do not care about student body elections and are made to vote when they would rather not participate. Although other cartoon characters have been nominated, as well as TV characters such as those from Pee Wee's Playhouse, Gilligan's IslandGilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
, or The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
, Donald Duck has gained a reputation as the perennial candidate for student government. - Ed the SockEd the SockEd the Sock is a puppet, created and voiced by Steven Kerzner, that became a Canadian television personality in the 1990s, best known for his appearances hosting programming on MuchMusic and his own talk show, Ed's Night Party, later renamed Ed & Red's Night Party...
, a fictional sock puppetSock puppetA sock puppet is a puppet made from a sock or similar garment. When the manipulator fits a hand into the closed end of the sock, the puppet can be seemingly made to "talk". The puppet's mouth is formed by the region between the sock's heel and toe, with the puppeteer's thumb forming a jaw...
, attempted to run for the Fed-Up Party during the Canadian federal election, 2011.
Several animals in the US have been elected mayors of small towns such as Rabbit Hash, Kentucky
Rabbit Hash, Kentucky
Rabbit Hash is a small unincorporated community in Boone County, Kentucky, United States, noted primarily for its name.The name Rabbit Hash may derive from the historic use of the local rabbit population as food. The hamlet's most notable building, the Rabbit Hash General Store, is regarded as the...
, whose mayor is a black lab named Junior Cochran, and Lajitas, Texas
Lajitas, Texas
Lajitas is an unincorporated community in Brewster County, Texas, United States, in proximity to the Big Bend National Park.-Government:For many years the mayor of Lajitas was Clay Henry III, a "beer-drinking" goat...
, whose mayor is a beer-drinking goat named Clay Henry III. Both Rabbit Hash and Lajitas are unincorporated towns where the mayoralty is purely a ceremonial position, not an actual leader of government.
- Boston Curtis, a brown mule, was offered as a candidate for a Republican precinct seat in Milton, WashingtonMilton, WashingtonMilton is a city in King and Pierce counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 6,968 at the 2010 census. Milton borders the larger but younger town of Edgewood...
in 1938, winning 52 to zero. - The mayor of Sunol, CaliforniaSunol, CaliforniaSunol is an unincorporated census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census....
was, for 10 years (1981-1990), a black Labrador-Rottweiler named Bosco. - In 1989, regional council boundaries were redrawn, with an emphasis on catchments being connected. These revised maps made WhangamomonaWhangamomonaWhangamomona is a small township in the Stratford District and Manawatu-Wanganui Region in New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 43, the Lost World Highway north-east of Stratford and south-west of Ohura. By rail it is from Stratford on the Stratford-Okahukura railway line.- History :The first...
, NZ part of the Manawatu-WanganuiManawatu-WanganuiManawatu-Wanganui is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, around the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Horizons Regional Council.-Administration:...
Region. Residents wanted to continue to be part of the Taranaki Region, and on 1 November 1989, they responded by declaring themselves the "Republic of Whangamomona" at the first Republic Day. At every Republic Day, they vote to either keep the seating President or to vote in a new one. Since 1999, they have had Billy Gumboot the Goat (1999-2001) and Tai the Poodle (2003-2004), the current incumbentIncumbentThe incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
being Murt "Murtle the Turtle" Kennard (2005-Present). - In 2001 a DachshundDachshundThe dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
called Saucisse (Sausage), was a candidate for MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) municipal elections. He won 4% of votes. Eight years later, in 2009, he participated the third season of Secret StorySecret Story 2009 (France)Secret Story 2009 is the fifth edition of the French version of the popular reality show Big Brother carrying on from the previous similar show, Loft Story...
, the French version of Big BrotherBig Brother (TV series)Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
. He entered the house on Day 36. His secret is that he was a candidate at the election of Marseille Mayor. To protect his secret, he entered the house with the nickname "Secret". - In 2006, a famous prankster and street artStreet artStreet art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
ist from Szeged, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, proclaimed himself the founder of the Hungarian Double-tailed Dog Party, going as far as to place propaganda ads out on the walls of Szeged's houses, promoting the candidate "István Nagy", a two-tailed dog.
Folklore and pop culture
The notion of animals being elected to office have often been the subject of parody and folklore. In 1972, American singer Tom T. HallTom T. Hall
Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
had a hit with a recording entitled "The Monkey That Became President" which considered a scenario in which said animal was elected to office.
See also
- List of animals with fraudulent diplomas
- List of frivolous political parties
- Jedi census phenomenonJedi census phenomenonThe Jedi census phenomenon is a grassroots movement that was initiated in 2001 for residents of a number of English-speaking countries, urging them to record their religion as "Jedi" or "Jedi Knight" on the national census.It is believed the majority of self-reported Jedi claimed the religion for...