Politics has gone to the dogs in the Big Apple.
The first round of voting began this week for Honorary NYC Dog Mayor, and incumbent East Village Basset Hound Sally Long Dog will be passing the bone to one of 15 adorable canine-didates from the five boroughs.
East Harlem resident Stephen Calabria founded the fur-filled competition, which he hopes will distract from the “political insanity people see unfolding around them” and advocate for initiatives like an increase in voter registration and pet adoption.
“Dogs are never going to embezzle your money, they don’t know anything about gas prices or interest rates. They’re never going to come under federal ethics investigations. They just want to love you,” Calabria told The Post.
The election is set up like a March Madness-style bracket in 15 rounds, and takes place via Dog Mayor NYC’s Instagram Stories, Facebook group and X account every Wednesday, until it’s down to the last two political pooches, who face off on Nov. 4.
During the first round, held on July 24, Pepper the Mini Chocolate Dachshund beat Zayla the Rottweiler 484 to 355.
The election is held every two years, or 14 years in dog years, and Calabria, who works as Mount Sinai Health System’s director of podcasting, hand-selects most of the pups.
They have some sort of a public profile, such as a large social media following or “recognizability” in the city, and live in one of the five boroughs, to be selected.
“I actually had to turn down a dog with over a million followers on Instagram because they lived in Westchester,” he said.
“I’m not getting involved in any kind of residency scandal.”
Puccini, a Yorkiepoo from Hell’s Kitchen is running with the campaign slogan “Pawsitively Puccini” — and a promise of “free tennis balls for all,” his owner, former Radio City Rockette Leslie Riddle, said.
The 16-year-old’s impressive resume includes winning the Hudson River Pet Parade’s Best Trick Award, walking the runway during New York Fashion Week and starring in the Peacock series “Poker Face,” as Tim Meadows and Ellen Barkin’s dog.
Upper East Side pup Shayna Maydele, a 5-year-old Coton de Tulear whose name means “beautiful girl” in Yiddish, is running with the slogan, “This fluff accomplishes stuff.”
Shayna is campaigning to “stop all the hissing radiators,” said her owner, Heidi Silverstone.
She was named “possibly the most Jewish dog in New York,” by NY Jewish Week for doing things like posting a “Shabbat shalom” message every Friday on her Instagram account — so may sway Jewish voters.
“I certainly hope so,” said Silverstone. “If elected, she will hand deliver, I mean paw deliver, a challah to City Hall.”
This year marks the first time an adoptable dog is on the ballot. Three-year-old Will O’Wisp, who is in foster care at Animal Care Centers of New York City, NYC’s largest animal shelter, is running with the slogan, “From City Shelter to City Hall.”
The first NYC Dog Mayor election was held in 2022 and Sally Long Dog was elected over Riley, a Golden Retriever, who became Deputy Dog Mayor.
Calabria believed Sally took home the crown because “a basset hound far better represents the average New Yorker, a Golden Retriever is too cheerful.”
During her time in office, Sally was even invited to visit City Hall to meet Mayor Eric Adams.
“As we were walking out, the sergeant-at-arms whispers to me, ‘I’ve worked here 28 years and I’ve never seen that many smiles at a press conference,’” Calabria recalled.
