I want to start by saying thank you—for being here, for your dedication, and for your unwavering commitment to this campaign. It has been the honor of my lifetime that this beautiful town—one I’ve been proud to call home for forty-three years—would even consider me as mayor. Unfortunately, our movement has fallen short; the time has come for me to honor the democratic process and concede this race to our incumbent, Rusty the French Bulldog.
Of course, our fine town is not the only place to have a non-human mayor. Idyllwild, California; Cormorant, Minnesota; and Georgetown, Colorado, join us in this tradition that could be described as “incredibly cute,” “what we need right now,” or “insulting to the people who dedicate their lives to public service.” It depends on who you’re asking.
But when I began this campaign, I asked you, the people of Riverside, if you wanted the mayor to be an experienced leader and five-term town council member or continue to be a dog who wears a bowler hat and a bowtie.
You chose the dog who wears a bowler hat and a bowtie. In a landslide.