The goldie, whose full name is Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II, has been mayor of Idyllwild since 2013. He is actually the second dog to be elected mayor here, following his predecessor Mayor Max I’s election in 2012.
Max II will be present at community events such as festivals and town events, with his faithful deputies Mikey and Mitzi. Max promises to execute his duties faithfully for the Mayor of Idyllwild by aiding in projects and providing company.
Idyllwild, a town in southern California with an approximate population of 2500 people, has never had any sort of governmental human figurehead.
In 2012, ARF sponsored the town’s first mayoral election and allowed constituents to vote by making a donation to the animal welfare organization.
Max, a golden retriever won two-thirds of the votes, becoming the first ever mayor for Idyllwild.
Sadly, the elderly dog passed away within two years..
Phyllis Mueller (‘Max’s owner and chief of staff) launched an international search for a successor but soon fell in love with two sets of retriever litters in the States.
Phyllis was so impressed by this bloodline that she chose Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II who arrived just 11 weeks old. ARF approved his mayoral.
The second mayor is already in training and will soon be making his first official trips to local events. ARF President Larry Yokell said: “When Mayor Max I passed away, it was devastating for everyone who knew him personally and the entire town of Idyllwild.
Evelyn Bright, a member of our board of directors at the time, wanted to start a fund in his memory and so the Mayor Max I Memorial Scholarship Fund was started.
It is our hope that the fund will be able to provide college scholarships for animals in need.”
Phyllis said: “Max II has already impressed everyone with his presence at town events and he is a real crowd-pleaser. We can’t wait until he is able to travel out of state so we can show him off to other parts of the country.”
His third election as mayor, Max II was elected unanimously. But his two assistants, Mikey and Mitzi, serve the town with wagging tails, lolling tongues and striped ties in a way that makes them look like they enjoy it just as much.
The trio are often referred to as the “Mayors of Idyllwild” and regularly make appearances at festivals, fairs and even make house calls to those in need.
Mayor Max II has a fleet of mayor mobiles with custom license plates and logos, a line of clothing merchandise, and magnetic business cards that can be found on locals
Max, a goldfish with 62,000 followers on Instagram posts photos and videos of his daily activities. Max has been photographed at weddings, schools, parades and celebrity events. In addition to being the Mayor of Idyllwild, Max is also the honorary mayor of Long Beach and San Diego.
Max II’s first term as mayor will end in November 2018 and he is able to run for office again when he’s four-years-old.
Idyllwild has a population of around 2500 people and has never had a human mayor.
In 2012 an election for mayor was held and it was decided that the winner of the race would be a dog.
The election in 2012 attracted global media attention as Max became the first canine to serve as an elected official.
A statement of Oath on the former mayor Max’s website reads:
“I, Max, do swear on my food bowl to faithfully execute my duties as Mayor of Idyllwild.
“I am proud to take this oath, knowing that my human campaign manager went above and beyond to finance this election campaign.”
“I am proud to be a Mayor in Idyllwild, where everyone can find happiness and success. I will be a role model for all who live here so that you never feel alone!
”Mayor Max promises to “support commissioners who oversee approving new projects” and “participate in outdoor concerts, festivals, fairs, and the July 4 parade.”
In 2014, Max’s popularity led to a run for president.
The canine launched his campaign on Facebook telling supporters: “I won the mayoral race fair and square, even if I did use fishy tactics… Now is your chance to elect me President of these United States!”
With no human opponent in sight, Max’s campaign team told his Facebook followers that they would be pulling out of the race and instead push for a constitutional change to allow him to become president.
His bid was managed by Phyllis, who asked voters if they were willing to write in ‘Max’ on their ballot papers.
