U-M students rally to elect a corgi as student government president

Reggie Bee is gaining some steam as a presidential candidate for Central Student Government at the University of Michigan.

There's just one quirk: He's a dog.

A corgi, in fact.

With the CSG Election taking place today and tomorrow at U-M in Ann Arbor, several hundred students have gotten behind a Facebook campaign to elect Reggie Bee — a trained therapy dog who's gained popularity among students and even has his own Facebook page — as CSG President.

No, Reggie Bee is not actually listed on the ballot. But the "campaign" asks students to write in "Reggie Bee" at the bottom of the ballot.

"The time has come to make our dreams of a more canine student government a reality," the Facebook Event says.

So who is Reggie Bee?

According to The Ann Arbor News last October, owner Michael P. Sola has taken Reggie Bee to the Diag for more than two years "during peak foot traffic hours" to allow students to pet him, give him treats and take photos with him.

More from reporter Martin Slagter:

On a Wednesday afternoon, students can be found recognizing the trained service and therapy dog from a distance, yelling, "Oh my God, it's Reggie," while others get their phones out for a mandatory addition to their Snapchat stories. The majority of student approaching him know him by name.

Reggie Bee has more than 4,000 Facebook friends. Not bad for a corgi!

U-M students have until 11:59 p.m. Thursday to submit their votes for Central Student Government.

Be sure that you follow the Detroit Free Press on Twitter (@freep) and Instagram and like us on Facebook.