Six finalists competing to see who will become Madison’s first “Pup Mayor”

A Pup Mayor Rally was held in downtown Madison on Thursday, Oct. 30 featuring the 14 candidates vying for Madison’s first “Pup Mayor”. The initial field of candidates was narrowed after the rally to the final six. Voting continues through Nov. 12.

MADISON – Now there are six candidates, but only one will be named Madison’s new mayor — “Pup Mayor” that is. Main Street Madison has been holding a fun election campaign to name the city’s first canine ambassador. Fourteen adorable pups have been running for the honorary position since Oct. 7. After a mid-term rally last week in downtown Madison the field of candidates were narrowed to six finalists.

Main Street Madison Executive Director Jen DeLessio said the campaign has generated a lot of attention for the new Madison Main Street organization as it tries to promote the city’s downtown area.

“We are excited to have this Pup Mayor election as a fun way for our community to come together, celebrate our pets, enjoy our downtown and get excited about the continued revitalization of our downtown,” DeLessio said.

The Pup Mayor will have important duties throughout the year like appearances at Main Street Madison events, ribbon cuttings and meet-and-greets.

The mid-term rally, which was held last Thursday, featured a pet parade, vendors, food trucks and plenty of election campaigning by the pup owners. Each vote consisted of a $1 donation. At the end of the rally, the six pooches with the most votes entered the finals.

Voting for the Pup Mayor continues for the final six candidates through Nov. 12 at www.mainstreetmadison.org. You can also cast votes at downtown Madison businesses, just look for QR codes to easily cast votes using your phone.

Updates and information about each pup are featured daily on Main Street Madison’s social media.

On Nov. 13, there will be a special election and inauguration night “Paw-ty” with a fun pet parade, family activities and food trucks. It will be held at Homeplace Park, 100 Shorter Street, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The victorious “Pup Mayor” will be sworn in. New Madison Mayor Ranae Bartlett will be on hand to help with the ceremony.

The Pup Mayor will have important duties throughout the year like appearances at Main Street Madison events, ribbon cuttings and meet-and-greets.

Barnie Fife

One of the six pups that made it to the final round is Barnie Fife. He is an experienced facility, serving four years in Madison City Schools. He comes from Service Dogs of Alabama and was the first facility dog for the system. He currently serves at Madison Elementary School.

According to his campaign, “Barnie has a nose for kindness and a tail that never stops. He is ready to lead with love, loyalty and belly rubs.”

Barnie lives with his handler Madison Elementary School counselor Stefanie Cook and her family. She said the students at the school are behind Barnie 100%. They recently produced their own campaign video pointing out the reasons why Barnie deserves to win “They have had fun rallying to help push Barnie over the top,” she said. “The whole school is excited about the prospect of Barnie being named Madison’s first “Pup Mayor”.

Baxter

Billed as “The leader we need”, Baxter is another pooch who made it past the preliminary voting. He is a mature three-year-old who understands the things that really matter: treats, walks, belly rubs and community.

“There is nothing I love more than being out in our community and making new best friends,” Baxter said in his own way. “I stand for treats, walks, parks, treats, pets, treats, belly rubs, treats and more treats.”

Baxter is known for his keen fashion sense with his signature tie.

Cooper

Cooper, another candidate, brings a lot of wisdom to the table. Spending his golden years in Madison, he enjoys walks around Town Madison, the Mill Creek Dog Park and, of course, pup cups from all of Madison’s best coffee spots.

One of Cooper’s most enduring qualities, besides being cute, is the fact he never meets a stranger and loves all dogs and people.

Max

Max is a two-year-old with a big personality and an even bigger heart. As the unofficial greeter at Blue Ink Closing and Title, he is the first friendly face many new Madison homeowners meet. Whether he is showing off his “sit and stay” skills, keeping watch by the officer door, or just being irresistibly cute, Max makes every closing a little brighter.

Known for his boundless energy, love of digging and toy-destroying talents, Max is more than just a pup – he’s part of the team that helps welcome families home.

Max’s campaign manager says he is the “paw-fect” choice to lead with heart and pawsitivity.

Optimus

Optimus says he is the pup for the job of Madison’s first Pup Mayor. He brings a youthful energy to the election, being only 6 months old. However, don’t let his age fool you. He has the experience to help the city’s new mayor in whatever capacity is needed.

Being a white Swiss shepherd, Optimus understand the difficulty in keeping the Bob Jones Band uniforms clean and shows solidarity with the students and their parents who must wash them.

Showing off his advanced education pedigree, Optimus is a recent graduate of AKC puppy obedience training class. His campaign says he would be a great ambassador and Pup Mayor for Madison.

Ripley

Last, but certainly not least, Ripley is a pup you can’t help but love. Born on Valentine’s Day, she is fun and loves people and very dedicated to getting the job done — especially if that job ends up chewing on a bone.

Ripley was named for Ellen Ripley, the strong lead character from the 1970 sci-fi movie, “Alien”. Just like her namesake, Ripley would make a strong pup leader for Madison.

More information about each candidate can be found at www.madisonstreetmadison.org, along with information about voting. You can also see interviews with each candidate in the finals at www.facebook.com/mainstreetmadison.

“We hope this will be a fun annual event for the community to celebrate our beloved pets and our beautiful downtown,” DeLessio said.

Kicked off in July, Main Street Madison connects the city of Madison, particularly its historic downtown, to the greater Main Street network in Alabama and across the nation, which has been helping strengthen and re-energize downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts for more than 45 years.