We first brought Rabbit Hash to your attention in 2017 when we mentioned that the town in Boone County, Kentucky had had a string of canine mayors that were all purebred dogs.

It all began with the untimely death of the town’s human mayor, Goofy Borneman-Calhoun, who died in office in 2001 at the age of 16. The office stayed vacant until the next election in 2004 when a black Labrador Retriever named “Junior Cochran” assumed the role. Junior died in office in 2008, and the next mayor chosen by a special election was “Lucy Lou,” a Border Collie lass who also became the town’s first female mayor.

Lucy Lou lost her bid in the 2016 election to “Brynneth Pawltro,” a Pit Bull who also beat out “Bourbon” an Australian Shepherd.

Last week, the results of the 2020 election in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, were announced, and the new mayor is “Wilbur Beast,” a six month old French bulldog. Wilbur’s 13,143 votes out of 22,985 ballots effectively unseated mayor Brynneth Pawltro, a win his owner, Amy Noland, attributes to his fierce outreach strategy, and running on a platform of mental health and breast cancer awareness. Like his predecessors, Mayor Wilbur won’t make legislative decisions for the 3.5-acre town town owned by the Rabbit Hash Historical Society, but the elections raise money to keep the town’s historic buildings in good condition. The recent election generated $22,985!

Being mayor at such a tender age requires frequent naps:

Wilbur’s two opponents in the race, “Jack Rabbit,” a Beagle, and “Poppy,” a Golden Retriever, respectively, will both become Rabbit Hash Ambassadors. They join twelve year old “Lady Stone” who began her ambassador duties in 2016. The canine good will representatives help out with fundraising and bring attention to the town named for its historic rabbit hash during the early 19th century.

You can follow the new mayor’s career on his official Facebook page.