A pug Chihuahua mix named Mo Bamba has made history by becoming the first dog ever elected mayor of 37th Street near Hyde Park in Austin, breaking a cat dynasty that had ruled for four years. The adorable rescue dog with a snaggle tooth won the heated election after more than 12,000 ballots were cast, more than double the turnout from previous years, in a race that started as a way to increase voter engagement during Austin’s human mayoral election. Mo Bamba’s parents rescued him as a puppy from Round Rock when he had parvo, and now the three year old spends his days playing fetch in his yard, which made him highly visible to the thousands of visitors who came to see the famous 37th Street Lights holiday display. His campaign manager Spencer Schumacher celebrated the victory by declaring that Mo Bamba had broken the glass ceiling and ended the cats’ tyrannical hold on the mayorship.
The election was particularly contentious this year, with campaign posters plastering the street and multiple allegations of voter fraud against Mo Bamba that his campaign firmly denied before organizers certified the results. The outgoing mayor, an orange cat named Zapp who had served two terms, graciously conceded and said he looked forward to retirement sleeping on the porch for 12 to 18 hours at a time. Mo Bamba has ambitious plans for his term including installing fire hydrants at every house and giving government contracts to people who play fetch, while his main campaign slogan promised he won’t just fight for you, he will bark at you. The 37th Street mayoral position comes with real responsibilities like looking at birds, owls, squirrels, and sometimes mice, but most importantly keeping the beloved Christmas lights free forever for all residents and visitors to enjoy.
Source: https://www.kut.org/austin/2026-01-13/austin-tx-37th-street-lights-animal-mayor-election
