CORMORANT, Minn. (WSVN) — Politics can be a tough business, especially in the small town of Cormorant, Minnesota, where this year’s mayoral race was anything but ordinary after the voters picked a four-legged candidate, Khaleesi the Great Pyrenees.
“You just immediately loved her, she’s just a sweet dog,” said Julie Sherbrooke, Khaleesi’s owner.
Khaleesi was elected as the ceremonial mayor of Cormorant, a small town so tiny it lacks a formal city government.
On a lazy summer day by Lake Ida, Khaleesi seemed to still be campaigning, enjoying ear scratches and puppy love, but she did not need to worry—after a hard-fought campaign that even included billboards, Khaleesi secured the position of mayor.
“She had some tough competition though,” said Tammy Odegaard, Chair of the Cormorant Daze festival.
One of her competitors was Ken Matthees, a member of the popular YouTube group, the C-Boys, who have nearly 4 million followers. Matthees wasn’t initially aware that he was running for mayor; his friends signed him up without his knowledge.
“Ken didn’t actually know he was going to be running for mayor, we just signed him up, and then he found out when the local paper came out,” said CJ Lotzer, a fellow C-Boy.
Matthees threw himself into the race and had billboards from Cormorant to Minneapolis, even hitting the streets to shake hands and secure votes.
“Yeah, it was me and three dogs were up for election this year,” said Matthees.
“He was kissing babies, like I just can’t believe he didn’t win, quite frankly,” Lotzer added.
Despite Matthees’s campaign, Khaleesi won the hearts of the voters. With her coronation set for this weekend, there is some light-hearted talk of protest from Ken’s supporters.
“We might be protesting,” said Lotzer playfully.
Khaleesi’s journey to Cormorant was not without its challenges. Originally from Idaho, she was a popular pup at a construction site before making her way to Minnesota.
Her owner, Dave Sherbrooke, recalled how she would show affection to everyone equally.
“She would go to every person, she never showed any favorites,” he said.
Khaleesi isn’t the first Great Pyrenees to hold the title of mayor in Cormorant. Another Pyrenees, Duke, served as the town’s beloved mayor from 2014 to 2019.
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