Alaska town: Feline mayor is the cat's pajamas

A cat named Stubbs lies on a tarp in an... — A cat named Stubbs lies on a tarp in an alley in Talkeetna, Alaska. KTUU-TV reported that residents didn't like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. (July 11, 2012) Credit: AP/Sandy Bubar

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSJuly 16, 2012

The mayor of a sleepy Alaska town is feline fine.

The part-Manx cat clawed his way onto the political scene of Talkeetna, Alaska, through a write-in campaign shortly after he was born 15 years ago.

KTUU-TV reported Friday that residents didn't like the mayoral candidates years ago, so they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The town has nearly 900 residents.

Although his position is honorary, Stubbs' popularity is real. His election earned him enough press to catapult the town at the base of Mount McKinley into a tourist destination.

Residents say they're happy that their stubby-tailed mayor is promoting tourism. The general store where Stubbs hangs out says it gets dozens of tourists a day asking for him.

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