A man named Santa Claus is running for North Pole's city council

Santa Claus holding a blank piece of paper.
(Image credit: iStock)

North Pole, Alaska, has a write-in candidate running for city council with quite an unusual name. Then again, maybe you've heard it before: Santa Claus.

Yes, you read that right. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the man's legal name is Santa Claus — it's written on his driver's license — and he even has experience in public office, having previously served as president of the North Pole Chamber of Commerce. Claus is up against only one other candidate in the race for two open seats on the city council, virtually guaranteeing him a spot.

That being said, even if another candidate does step up to run, it's hard to fathom Mr. Claus not winning based on the qualifications of his name alone.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.