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In This Michigan Town, the Mayor Was a Dog. Now, They’ve Elected a Horse
The Free Press ^ | 10 Aug, 2024 | Eric Spitznagel

Posted on 08/11/2024 6:39:08 AM PDT by MtnClimber

A small town has never elected a mayor with opposable thumbs. But is it ready for a new kind of four-legged leader? Eric Spitznagel reports from Omena, Michigan.

Welcome to Omena’s triennial animal election. Above (L to R) Kanda McKee holds Porsche McKee, the deputy vice mayor, Schatzi Putnam, and Rosie Disch, the incumbent mayor of Omena. (Nic Antaya for The Free Press)

On July 20 in Omena, a small town in the “little finger” of northern Michigan, a crowd of about a hundred locals gathered in a church parking lot for the inauguration of their new mayor. A brass band played “The Stars and Stripes Forever” as Sally Viskochil, president of the local historical society, walked across the patriotically festooned stage to make the announcement.

“And our new mayor is. . . ” There was a collective intake of breath. “Lucky!”

There was a smattering of applause, but a few members of the audience looked stunned. Mike McKenzie, 53, an Illinoisan with a summer home in Omena, turned to me, befuddled.

“Boy,” he said. “I guess people really are fed up with the old two-species system.”

Lucky, part American Quarter Horse, part Paint Horse, was elected as the sixth mayor of Omena, Michigan. (Photo by Amber Standerfer)

ucky, after all, is a horse. He’s a cross between an American Quarter and an American Paint, to be precise, and the first equid to be elected mayor of Omena. Until now, this race has only ever been won by a dog—and, once, a cat. You could say Lucky was an underdog in securing the town’s highest office, except he beat twelve actual dogs, five cats, and a goat. Many of them were in attendance. The victor was not.

As the results sunk in, Rosie, the incumbent mayor, a Golden Labrador mix, wandered around the crowd, saying her goodbyes. The band broke into “Hail to the Chief” for her, and she paused, as if to listen.

Welcome to Omena’s triennial animal election. What began as a fundraising stunt for the local historical society in 2009 is now a source of heated political debate in this middle-of-nowhere Michigan village, population 355. As the crowd began to disperse, a small group of locals gathered under a tree to escape the sun, and to talk frankly.

“The horse isn’t even from here,” groused Cathy Stephenson, the campaign manager for Topsy & Turvy, domestic shorthair cats who ran on one ticket to be co-mayors.......


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: cathystephenson; elections; ericspitznagel; michigan; mistered; ofcourseofcourse; omena
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1 posted on 08/11/2024 6:39:08 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

A horse would be an improvement over a democRAT.


2 posted on 08/11/2024 6:39:22 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

depends

are they fiscal conservatives?


3 posted on 08/11/2024 6:40:23 AM PDT by joshua c
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To: MtnClimber

The Walz jokes write themselves with the horse mayor...the horse knows what he has to do to get federal funds...

Lol.


4 posted on 08/11/2024 6:42:31 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: MtnClimber

Beats the usual jack asses they usually would vote for.


5 posted on 08/11/2024 6:46:17 AM PDT by dforest
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To: MtnClimber

How much wiser were the good people of Omena than the electorate of Minnesota. At least Omena elected the whole horse.


6 posted on 08/11/2024 6:50:02 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (לעזאזל עם חמאס)
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To: MtnClimber
Well, the horse is an upgrade.

They elected Walz as Gov and he is only a small portion of a horse - the posterior part.

7 posted on 08/11/2024 7:03:11 AM PDT by rdcbn1
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To: MtnClimber

A horse? Nebraska?
...has anyone kept an eye out for Tim Walz?


8 posted on 08/11/2024 7:05:10 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: MtnClimber

Indeed.


9 posted on 08/11/2024 7:06:38 AM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: MtnClimber

Even worse, a carpetbagger


10 posted on 08/11/2024 7:07:39 AM PDT by cport (How can political capital be spent on a bunch of ingrates)
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To: MtnClimber

Go right to the source and ask the horse
He’ll give you the answer that you’ll endorse.
He’s always on a steady course.
Talk to Mayor Lucky.


11 posted on 08/11/2024 7:08:19 AM PDT by bgill
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To: MtnClimber

And we are about to elect a HORSE’S ASS! TWO of THEM!


12 posted on 08/11/2024 7:10:28 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...

13 posted on 08/11/2024 7:15:16 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: MtnClimber

The deceased summer residents of MI are registered to vote for eternity.I wonder how many illegal votes the dog got.


14 posted on 08/11/2024 7:21:30 AM PDT by cnsmom
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To: MtnClimber

The horse ran against a Border Collie who claimed he wasn’t responsible for the border.


15 posted on 08/11/2024 7:24:07 AM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: MtnClimber

A step up from the horse’s @$$ we have in the White House now.


16 posted on 08/11/2024 7:44:43 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: MtnClimber

Big deal.

We’ve got 5 horse’s asses on the City Council, and one in the Mayor’s chair.


17 posted on 08/11/2024 7:46:01 AM PDT by castlebrew (Gun Control means hitting where you're aiming!))
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To: GreenHornet
The horse ran against a Border Collie who claimed he wasn’t responsible for the border.

Border Collies are smarter than that, but a Border Kackler is not.

18 posted on 08/11/2024 7:55:26 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

Didn’t Caligula make his horse a senator?


19 posted on 08/11/2024 9:48:24 AM PDT by The Louiswu (Pray for Peace in the world.)
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To: MtnClimber

Unlike most politicians, if this mayor delivers a load of horses**t, no one will be particularly surprised.


20 posted on 08/11/2024 11:39:18 AM PDT by Albion Wilde (“Despair serves the regime.” —J.D. Vance)
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