A therapy dog has been elected mayor of a Vermont community. Murfee, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, won the Fair Haven mayoral race Wednesday after receiving 146 votes in a Town Meeting Day election. Murfee defeated incumbent mayor, Lincoln the goat, along with 16 other candidates to earn the nomination. His campaign discussed raising additional playground funds extensively leading up to the election. "I think Murfee will do a great job with the playground fund, so I really wanted him from that standpoint to win," Lina Barker, Murfee's campaign manager, said. "I asked him; he didn't really care, but he's happy. Local organizers started the pet election in 2019 to help raise those funds, which is why some voters were unhappy with the decision not to re-elect Lincoln: The goat raised more than $1,000 for the fund during her tenure. "I wanted Lincoln," one student voter said. "He raised a lot of money for the playground last year."Fair Haven educators felt the passionate responses of students were encouraging and hope the pet election will help them find an interest in politics. Murfee will be sworn in next week.

A therapy dog has been elected mayor of a Vermont community.


Murfee, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, won the Fair Haven mayoral race Wednesday after receiving 146 votes in a Town Meeting Day election.

Murfee defeated incumbent mayor, Lincoln the goat, along with 16 other candidates to earn the nomination. His campaign discussed raising additional playground funds extensively leading up to the election.



"I think Murfee will do a great job with the playground fund, so I really wanted him from that standpoint to win," Lina Barker, Murfee's campaign manager, said. "I asked him; he didn't really care, but he's happy.

Local organizers started the pet election in 2019 to help raise those funds, which is why some voters were unhappy with the decision not to re-elect Lincoln: The goat raised more than $1,000 for the fund during her tenure.

"I wanted Lincoln," one student voter said. "He raised a lot of money for the playground last year."

Fair Haven educators felt the passionate responses of students were encouraging and hope the pet election will help them find an interest in politics.

Murfee will be sworn in next week.