Third candidate is a good boy for mayor of Seattle
Oct 28, 2017, 12:50 PM
Thor Michaelson, a German Shepherd mix, is anti-vacuum cleaner. (Courtesy of Tiffany Pitts)
(Courtesy of Tiffany Pitts)
When Seattle mayoral candidates Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon were asked which of their former opponents they would like to work with, they mentioned names like Bob Hasegawa, Jessyn Farrell and Nikkita Oliver. Who they didn’t mention was Thor Michaelson who is still campaigning as an unofficial write-in candidate.
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Despite running on a unique platform and remaining relatively unknown, Michaelson has already received positive feedback from voters he’s encountered and shaken hands with.
“They are saying that he’s a very good boy, he’s a very hansom boy,” said Michaelson’s campaign manager Tiffany Pitts. “They do like his stance on being friendly and getting people together. Mostly he wants to get them together so he can keep an eye on them.”
While Durkan and Moon have garnered most headlines, Michaelson’s campaign has received attention from national and local publications. Michaelson, 42 (in dog years), is of German (and other) ancestry. He sits on the region’s Vacuum Cleaner Defense League, and often on command. The scourge of vacuums is an issue he felt so strongly about, he was inspired to chase the office of mayor in 2016.
“He was actually encouraged (this year) by some of our friends who were following his campaign last year to banish all vacuum cleaners,” Pitts said.
“Right now he’s pretty focused on what he’s doing, getting word out that vacuum cleaners are pretty horrible, and that people should be feeding their dogs cookies and tennis balls,” she added.
A prohibition on vacuum cleaners is only one matter that Michaelson is focusing on for his 2017 campaign. Pitts says she is aware that her candidate’s stance on other area residents may appear discriminatory, but she says he may roll over on the issues.
“He is not very fond of birds, but he’s OK with them being at least 10 feet off of his property,” Pitts said. “The real sticking point is his stance on squirrels. He doesn’t like them either … we have some squirrels we are dealing with here, but they are now allowed on the fence,” Pitts said. “As long as they are not in his yard, he’s OK with that.”
Michaelson supporters can fetch their own campaign signs from the candidate’s website. Signs state: “Thor Michaelson Votes Yes To Walkies” and “Thor Michaelson Wants To Know … Are You Going To Eat That?”
“Thor wants everybody to know that he is still taking donations of cookies,” Pitts said. “And you don’t have to donate directly to him, you can find your dog of choice and donate as often as you like.”
