French Bulldog Named Wilbur Elected Mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky

Finally, an elected official we can all get behind: A French Bulldog named Wilbur has been recently elected as the mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, population 426. Wilbur is the fifth dog to be named mayor of Rabbit Hash and still a puppy himself, and it turns out he may be the youngest elected official ever in the Kentucky town.

It was a tight race against 16 candidates including Stella the Fat Cat and a donkey named Higgins, but Wilbur pulled out a last-minute victory. Wilbur won 13,143 out of 22,985 votes, a record high! The way it works is that when you donate a dollar to the town's Historical Society you get to vote, so while this is more of an online fund-raiser (which allows nonresidents to vote), the title of Mayor is an honorarium.

His widespread popularity may have been his campaign slogan, “Give me liberty or give me...milk bones” or his patriotic campaign photos where he is dressed in an American flag-patterned bow tie. His long days on the job have so far included a meet and greet with his constituents and of course, many dog treats.

Wilbur was elected through a contest that isn't state-sanctioned, but is actually a fundraiser for the Rabbit Hash Historical Society. With a record-high voter turnout, the society was able to raise $13,000 which will go to maintaining the historic town. Wilbur himself raised an impressive $6,170, nearly half of the total raised.

The current incumbent is a rescued pit bull named Brynneth Pawltrow who will turn mayoral responsibilities over to Wilbur. His official Facebook page expressed his gratitude for all the support, reading, "I am humbled and beyond thankful for all of the support from far away and right here at home."