The mayor of Dorset can’t be voted out of office – but he can be sent to the corner for a time out!
That’s because the 22 residents of the small Minnesota town have elected a sensationally small leader: 3-year-old James Tufts!
James is the heir of a political dynasty: The freckle-faced redhead is following in the footsteps of his brother, 6-year-old Robert!
“I wanted to be the mayor so much,” said James, who won the honorary title at the Taste of Dorset Food Festival – where residents annually choose their mayor by putting a name in a hat, after paying $1 as part of a raffle.
James joins Robert in holding the record for the town’s youngest mayor. His older brother was also only 3 when he was first elected to office.
The only other child to have landed the job was a 4-year-old boy from Chicago.
Curiously, a rooster of unknown age was also once elected – but died before his inauguration. Proud mother Emma said James was training for office alongside Robert.
“He would introduce himself as the mayor when he wasn’t,” explained Emma.
“He would tell people that he was the vice-mayor, depending on how he was feeling.”
James already has his agenda all planned out.
“I want to give presents to kids when they’re sick at the hospital,” he said. That would continue his brother’s practice of using the office to raise money for groups like the Salvation Army and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Don’t worry about sibling rivalry though. Robert enthusiastically endorsed James.
“He doesn’t do too much mean stuff,” the former mayor quipped, adding, “I told him to be nice when you talk to people and don’t say any poopy talk!”
That’s the kind of leadership we’d like to see in the White House! But for now, James – and his cute political adviser – are just kids voted to the top of this week’s Odd List.
