Smile News: Somerville, MA Names Their Animal Mayor
In the summer, the small city of Somerville, Massachusetts, made headlines by electing a feline as its mayor of the community bike path in a unique and heartwarming political event. The story first surfaced in early July when a cat was surprisingly selected to run in what appeared to be a playful, community-driven election for mayor of the community bike path. As news spread rapidly through social media, interest grew exponentially, with the story capturing up to 10 million views and over a million followers eagerly tracking the outcome.
Prior to the election, Berry the cat was the official, unofficial Mayor of the community bike path; however, the other cats had found that unfair, and in return, decided it was time for an official election to choose who would be the proud feline in charge of Somerville’s bike path.
“Berry became mayor of Somerville without an election, and I thought that was bologna,” said Janet McNamara, Orange Cat’s owner. “Orange Cat stands for fair and free elections.”
Initially, only two cats competed in the race: Orange Cat and Berry. The campaign trail quickly took on a lively, humorous tone as their owners took to walking along the local bike trails—akin to traditional campaign routes—distributing flyers and stickers, and rallying support from curious townsfolk. The election’s popularity sparked a fun rivalry, drawing more animals to toss their hats into the ring. Soon, dogs, a parrot, a guinea pig, a snake, and a tortoise joined the contest, turning it into a quirky, community-wide event.
The cats each had their signs staked along the path with slogans such as Berry’s, “Make Cats Outside Again,” and Minerva’s, “Crime.”
Despite the playful competition, the race concluded in September, with Minerva, a sleek black cat, emerging as the winner and earning the honorary title of Somerville’s new community path cat mayor. The charming and unconventional election not only brought joy and unity to the town but also showcased the community’s creativity and love for their pets.
