Stubbs the Cat, April 12, 1997 (Talkeetna, Alaska) – July 21, 2017 (Talkeetna, Alaska)
VP candidate for Felines First Party (2012)
Running mate with nominee: Morris the Cat
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
On Oct. 11, 2012 9Lives catfood spokesfeline Morris the Cat was quoted in a press release, "It's time to let the cat out of the bag - I'm running for President. As we head out on the campaign trail, my hope is that Mayor Stubbs and I put our best paw forward in representing all cats everywhere." Mayor Stubbs, the perhaps literal running-mate, was none other than Stubbs the Cat, the Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska.
Morris the Cat I (ca1961-1978) was apolitical. Morris the Cat II (ca1978-1997) ran for President in 1988 and 1992 and was also named in 1988 by Lyle Morris Schlieder as his VP. Morris III served as the mascot from 1995-2000, and Morris IV was assigned in 2000. After that point the actual number of Morris cats becomes clouded in conflicting sources.
Talkeetna, Alaska was not actually an incorporated municipality when Stubbs the Cat was "elected" Mayor in 1997 as a part-Manx kitten with no tail (hence the name "Stubbs"). Like Morris, Stubbs found himself in the role of commercial spokesperson gaining publicity for a product, in his case tourism for Talkeetna. So a whole fable grew around Stubbs that he was elected by write-in vote over human opponents for the job of Mayor.
Prior to being selected as the running-mate for Morris, there already existed a campaign to elect Stubbs for President under the banner of the Demeowcatic Repurrblican Party and with a dog named Lucy Lou as his VP (probably the border collie who was "Mayor" of Rabbit Hash, Ky.). Unfortunately it seems Facebook was the main venue for electioneering information and a good deal of it has been erased. Whether Stubbs was running both for President in one party and Vice-President in another at the same time is difficult to ascertain.
After the election Stubbs went through a serious misfortune. On Aug. 31, 2013 the aging cat was mauled by a dog. 9Lives paid the $3000 vet bill to heal Stubbs, and a few thousand more dollars were sent by well wishers. The bump in publicity no doubt was behind the decision to run Stubbs for the US Senate in 2014. It also appears there some kind of effort to run Stubbs for President in 2016.
At other points in his life Stubbs had survived being shot by a BB gun and falling into a deep fat fryer that was cooling.
Stubbs' peaceful death at age 20 in 2017 made national news. His mayoral position was filled by a cat named Denali. There was a campaign to elect Stubbs for president in 2020 even though he was deceased.
Election history:
1997-2017 - Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska (honorary)
2012 - US President (Demeowcatic Repurrblican Party) - withdrew?
2014 - US Senate (Alaska) (Independent) - defeated
2016 - US President (Demeowcatic Repurrblican Party) - defeated
Other occupations: cat
Buried: ?
Notes:
The number of write-in votes Stubbs earned in 2014 was not reported.
First third party VP born in Alaska.
