NYC Dog Mayor Elections Kick Off With Dog Dating From All 5 Boroughs

Politics in the Big Apple is going to hell.

This week, the first round of voting for NYC Dog’s Honorary Mayor has begun. Incumbent East Village Basset Hound Sally Long Dog will pass the bone to one of 15 adorable dogs from across the five boroughs.

East Harlem resident Stephen Calabria founded the furry contest, which he hopes will distract from the “political madness that people see unfolding around them” and advocate for initiatives like increased voter registration and pet adoptions.

“Dogs will never embezzle your money, they don’t know anything about gas prices or interest rates. They will never be subject to federal ethics investigations. They just want to love you,” Calabria told The Post.

Formatted as a 15-round March Madness pool, the pageant will take place every Wednesday across Dog Mayor NYC’s Instagram Stories, Facebook group, and X account until the final two political dogs face off on November 4.

During the first round, held on July 24, Pepper the Mini Chocolate Dachshund defeated Zayla the Rottweiler 484 to 355.

The pageant takes place every two years, or 14 in dog years, and Calabria, who works as director of podcasting at Mount Sinai Health System, personally selects most of the pups.

They must have a public profile, such as a large social media following or ‘recognition’ in the city, and live in one of the five boroughs to be selected.

“I even had to turn down a dog with over a million followers on Instagram because she lived in Westchester,” he said.

“I am not going to get involved in a residency scandal.”

Puccini, a Yorkiepoo from Hell’s Kitchen, is campaigning with the slogan “Pawsitively Puccini” and the promise of “free tennis balls for everyone,” according to his owner, former Radio City Rockette Leslie Riddle.

The 16-year-old’s impressive resume includes winning the Hudson River Pet Parade’s Best Trick Award, walking the runway at New York Fashion Week and starring in the Peacock series “Poker Face” as Tim Meadows and Ellen Barkin’s dog.

Shayna Maydele, a 5-year-old Coton de Tulear dog from the Upper East Side whose name means “pretty girl” in Yiddish, runs with the slogan, “This fluff accomplishes things.”

Shayna is campaigning to “stop all hissing radiators,” according to her owner, Heidi Silverstone.

She was named “possibly the most Jewish dog in New York” by NY Jewish Week for posting “Shabbat shalom” messages on her Instagram account every Friday, which she said could influence Jewish voters.

“I certainly hope so,” Silverstone said. “If she is elected, she will hand-deliver, I mean paw-deliver, a challah to City Hall.”

This year marks the first time an adoptable dog has appeared on the ballot. Three-year-old Will O’Wisp, who is in foster care at Animal Care Centers of New York City, New York City’s largest animal shelter, is running under the slogan, “From City Shelter to City Hall.”

The first election for a canine mayor in New York was held in 2022 and Sally Long Dog was elected over Riley, a Golden Retriever, who became deputy canine mayor.

Calabria believed Sally took home the crown because “a basset hound represents the average New Yorker much better, a Golden Retriever is too cheerful.”

During her tenure, Sally was even invited to visit City Hall and meet Mayor Eric Adams.

“As we were walking out, the sergeant-at-arms whispered to me, ‘I’ve been here 28 years and I’ve never seen so many smiles at a press conference,’” Calabria recalled.