On Sept. 16, a new, special mayor was announced in Somerville: one who emerged from a tight, grueling race over the summer, in a campaign that had residents sitting on the edge of their seats. Oh, and the preliminary elections for Somerville mayor happened too.
During the summer, a special election in Somerville captured the attention of online netizens across various media platforms. No, it wasn’t the recent preliminary election; it was a campaign for the fictional title of ‘Bike Path Mayor’ on the Somerville Community Bike Path, where Minerva, a long-haired black cat who campaigned on a single-word slogan — “CRIME” — claimed victory against other furry, feline cat-didates.
It’s no coincidence to see this rise in popularity of grassroots animal politicians, from our resident bike path mayor to the viral Mayor Max III in California, alongside the general downward sliding of approval rates for human politicians in the past couple of decades. Through the microcosm of our host community Somerville, we can see this phenomenon clearly demonstrated.
Breaking national headlines in early July, this fluffy campaign put Somerville, Mass., on the map, garnering coverage from People, The Guardian and The Boston Globe. Most of its attention, however, came from social media platforms, with posts reaching half a million likes on Instagram and 2 million views on TikTok. Ironically, the actual preliminary election, which narrowed the pool of Somerville mayoral candidates before the municipal election in November, was held on the same day the bike path mayor results were released. Yet the preliminary election only had a turnout rate of 23.37%, a decline from the municipal election four years ago.
This mock mayoral election has certainly been entertaining to watch and fun to see it serving as a creative outlet to unite animal owners in the community. Furthermore, because the race’s center is the bike path, which has been littered with dozens of campaign lawn signs, it is drawing a great deal of attention to itself. As a Tufts student, it’s also heartwarming to see so much attention being drawn towards a community so close to campus.
I’m sure it’s easy to attribute the explosive popularity of the mayoral race to one of the many viral animal content pieces that circulate on social media in our digital age. However, I would argue that there is a larger implication with this rise. If you look at the comment sections of other viral animal politicians, you would often find comments like, “The only politician I can trust,” under a TikTok of Mayor Max or, “The only member of parliament that the whole country can get behind,” from The Sun’s video coverage of Larry the Downing Street Cat. Both of these comments received thousands of likes, showing how widespread this outlook is amongst individuals.
Given the results of the presidential election last year, I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling voter fatigue and frustration with the current political landscape. It’s difficult to stay optimistic if every time I turn on the news or doomscroll social media, I watch America’s political landscape descend further into what seems like incomprehensible chaos, especially as a part of the new generation of young voters. With the tidal wave of Generation Z participation in the 2024 presidential election and our overwhelming presence on social media platforms, it’s impossible not to notice a fatigue this year in local elections.
Another reason for poor voter turnout, according to University of Pennsylvania political scientist Daniel Hopkins, is that the media itself — specifically its coverage — has caused people to shift their attention away from local politics. He observed how, as Americans transition from printed and local news to the internet and cable television, we are also leaving behind sources that usually provide state and local information. This is highly ironic. Living in the digital age, where we all have a wealth of information at our fingertips, how is it that our generation has become increasingly detached from the communities we have the most access to?
Perhaps it’s easier for us to stay invested in a casual cat campaign; after all, they are silly and absolutely adorable. But this shouldn’t distract us from engaging in human politics. Although the recent news can dissuade us from believing that our vote has any real impact on policy, that shouldn’t stop us from getting our voices heard anyway.
