Santa Claus runs for North Pole city council seat
Claus previously had an unsuccessful run for the 2012 U.S. presidency
Santa Claus is looking to make a career move. At least, Santa Claus, a man living in North Pole, Alaska, is.
That Santa Claus, who also sports his more famous namesake's iconic white beard, is hoping to be elected to a seat on the North Pole city council, reported the Newsminer, a newspaper in Fairbanks, Alaska. North Pole is a city of roughly 2,200 people and is about 580 kilometres north of Anchorage.
Claus is "the only man legally named Santa Claus ever to live in North Pole, Alaska," he claims on his Facebook page. His driver's licence shows his name as Santa Claus, according to the Newsminer.
The city he lives in evokes the spirit of Christmas year-round, according to the North Pole Chamber of Commerce. The streets are decorated in holiday garb every month of the year.
If that's not enough, the light posts look like candy canes and streets have festive names like Snowman Lane and St. Nicholas Drive.
No present requests, please
Despite living in a seemingly jolly place, Claus is not quite like the cheery, gift-giving figure of Christmas lore portrayed in holiday flicks like Miracle on 34th Street and The Santa Clause.
"PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME REQUESTS FOR PRESENTS," reads a description in all upper-case letters on Claus's Facebook page.
He's also not keen to hear from kids.
"I do not respond to messages, calls, emails, or letters from children," reads a note on his website.
Still, Claus claims to be a child advocate and monk, and his political ambitions aren't new. He's the former president of the North Pole Chamber of Commerce.
In 2012, Claus campaigned to be elected the next U.S. president. He withdrew his candidacy on Halloween that year due to lack of support, according to a cached version of his campaign site.
The city council election takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 6.