Clyde, the mayor of Divide, will be ending his term in office soon.

“He’s been one of the best mayors we’ve ever had” Kathleen Ruyak, PR & marketing coordinator and administrative assistant for the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter said.

Despite the success, the jackass will be moving on.

That’s not a pejorative. Clyde is a donkey.

In 2010, a board member of TCRAS saw a story about another small town that has raised funds by allowing people to “vote” for an animal for mayor by making a small donation for each vote. The election has become a big fundraiser for the shelter.

Every two years, anyone from anywhere can help decide the next mayor of Divide. The election creates goodwill, exposure for the non-profits and businesses that sponsor the candidates and essential funds to support the small but mighty animal shelter at the same time.

“People are encouraged to vote as often as they want for their favorite candidates! We’ve had cats, dogs, a wolf and most recently a mammoth donkey as our mayors,” Ruyak said.

Clyde has been a huge supporter of TCRAS during his term of office. He has attended every major TCRAS event, dressed up and ready to meet his constituents, supporters and fans.

The shelter keeps the election light-hearted and doesn’t get into typical political divisions. Each candidate is sponsored by a local business or non-profit and their “campaign manager” (usually the pet’s owner) helps promote the shelter and its mission of “fostering hope and new beginnings” while the shelter helps promote the sponsors.

“It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” Ruyak said.

TCRAS is currently accepting applications for the new mayor, which are due by Jan. 31. Candidates must be “non-humans” and a resident of Teller County or the immediate surrounding area and have a local sponsor to manage their campaign. Managers (or candidates) must have a social media account to help promote the election. The candidates will be announced around the first of February and campaign voting begins Feb. 8 and ends April 2. Each vote costs $2 per vote and anyone, anywhere can vote for any candidate or multiple candidates an unlimited amount of times.

The mayor race “brings awareness to our small rural shelter and it also allows us to raise money for all of the animals that come through our doors,” explained Ruyak.

While TCRAS is sad to say goodbye to Clyde, he is ready to move on to bigger and better adventures.

“He’s been requested to run for president,” Debbie Bibb, Clyde’s mom and one of his campaign managers said. “So, as he steps down from there, he is going to be concentrating on spreading the word.”

He’d likely be the most popular among the jackasses currently running.