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Somerville has a new cat mayor: Meet Minerva
Minerva, a black cat whose slogan was simply — and sinisterly — “CRIME,” was selected as mayor after an election process that captivated Somerville.
A feisty feline was elected Somerville’s new “bike path mayor” Tuesday, reigning over more than a dozen cats and even two dogs.
Minerva, a black cat whose slogan was simply — and sinisterly — “CRIME,” was selected as mayor after an election process that captivated Somerville and other surrounding communities
“Minerva asked me to say one thing on her behalf and one thing only: crime,” the cat’s owner, Daniel Abraham, said at Sunday’s reveal.
Minerva dethroned 3-year-old Berry, the incumbent who campaigned with the slogan “Make cats outside again.”
Berry received an endorsement from Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, who is up for reelection this year, but Minerva’s mysterious message seems to have charmed the neighborhood.
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“I want to know like, Minerva the cat, what is her take on crime? Is she for crime? Is she against it?” Jennie Erikson, of Somerville, told NBC10 Boston in July.
The election started as a joke among two friends, and quickly grew to become a community art installation.
Berry’s owner, Mallory Bissett, had declared her cat the unofficial bike path mayor to familiarize the community with her cat who rebuffs her collar.
Soon enough, Janet McNamara, owner of a feline named “Orange Cat,” decided it was time for Berry to be challenged.
“Berry became mayor of Somerville without an election, and I thought that was bologna,” McNamara told NBC10 Boston. “Orange Cat stands for fair and free elections.”
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With Minerva now crowned Somerville’s cat mayor, all eyes in the city are now on the human mayor’s election, which hosted preliminary elections Tuesday.
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