An ungoverned bike path in Somerville, Massachusetts, has had the power vacuum filled with numerous cat hopefuls, sparking a tense election
Initially, the first mayor of the bike path was Berry, a three-year-old shorthair. She would often wander around the bike path, and so her owners put up a sign to let people know she wasn’t a stray. In fact, the cat was the unelected mayor of the area, according to the sign.
However, the cats’ coup wasn’t long-lasting, and other felines demanded a fair shot at the seat. Soon, the town saw an influx of possible candidates, sparking a cat election. The seat of the bike path mayor has kicked off in a big way.
Campaign posters started flying up around the bike path, with other cats promising their constituents the world. “The original race, we have photo evidence all over the Somerville Discord, was Orange Cat vs Berry, who is the incumbent,” a local told NBC10. “I see Berry all the time, Orange Cat almost as much. And then other candidates started coming in, and then Berry’s sign was stolen.”
Cat Election Becomes Heated
Once the mayoral spot of Berry was challenged, many more moggies stepped up to the plate. There were all sorts of promises and regime changes proposed by the many posters that appeared on the bike path.
Of course, Berry is still in the running. But there are some pretty good slogans for the cat election. ‘Make Cats Outside Again,’ ‘Free Kibble for All, ‘ and advocates for more cat naps feature heavily. The whole community has come together to fight for what their cats think is right.
“People just want to be able to have fun in their community, and a little bit of silliness is a good thing, I think,” said local woman, Bissett. “I think everyone is appreciating the cat puns and cat-related political humor.”
Even the human local mayor has had a say in the local cat election. “Berry does have my endorsement as a proven leader defending our bike path values. I also admire her approach to rat control. This race has been absolutely purr-fect for our community, capturing our creativity and community spirit. Nothing brings people together like debating whether Puzzle’s platform calling for more catnaps is fiscally responsible.”