The Pint-Sized Mayor of Dorset, MN is Running for a Second Term

A lot of choice words come to mind when the word “politician” is spoken. The word generally carries a negative connotation thanks to the hundreds of men and women who have (dis)graced public office in the history of this great country. Ice cream, preschool, cub scouts – these words generally do not enter into the imagination when a politician is thought of, except for maybe the citizens of Dorset, Minnesota. Car dealers in Cincinnati were flabbergasted to learn that four-year-old Robert “Bobby” Tufts is the official mayor of this 28-person town in Northern Minnesota.

Dorset’s main industry is tourism, and every year that the town’s Taste of Dorset Festival, a name is drawn from a hat and that person becomes the official town mayor. Ballot boxes are placed in stores throughout the small town, and citizens can “cast” a vote for $1. Bobby is running for a second term, and his campaign platform is simple, “I would love to be your Mayor as much as I love Sophie.” The pint-sized Romeo is speaking of his girlfriend, of course – what successful politician hasn’t had a strong woman standing behind him?

As mayor, it is Bobby’s job to greet visitors to the town, and recently he led a group of 20 citizens on a walk to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Red River Valley in Fargo, North Dakota. Bobby is well-known throughout the town and calls of “Hey Mayor” echo through the streets after the energetic young politician. If only the rest of this fine country could get on board with such an innocent political leaning…there is no telling what could happen.