A French Bulldog Was Just Elected Mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky in a Landslide Victory

The winner of one of the most important elections of 2020 has finally been decided. After running against several other canine candidates, Wilbur Beast the French bulldog has been named the new mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, the Associated Press reports.

Rabbit Hash, an unincorporated hamlet with a population of roughly 470, has been presided over by a dog mayor since 1998. The unofficial elections are organized by the Rabbit Hash Historical Society, the nonprofit organization that owns the town, and residents cast their votes by donating $1 toward the organization.

Around the time the U.S. elects a president, Rabbit Hash votes a new four-legged mayor into office. This year's winner beat out a therapy beagle named Jack Rabbit and a golden retriever named Poppy. The candidate pool in 2020 also included some unconventional pets, like a donkey named Higgins and a rooster.

Wilbur Beast won the election in a landslide with 13,143 votes—about 28 times the entire population of Rabbit Hash. Questions of the race's legitimacy aside, the French bulldog is set replace the current pitbull mayor Brynneth Pawltro, who has served since 2017.

Rabbit Hash's new mayor is part of a long American tradition of unofficial canine leaders. Dogs have been elected as mayor in Talkeetna, Alaska; Sunol, California; and Lajitas, Texas.

[h/t Associated Press]