5-year-old mayor Bobby Tufts reflects on 2-term stint in Minn.

Friday, August 8, 2014
5-year-old mayor Bobby Tufts reflects on 2-term stint in Minn.
He's possibly the most adorable city leader in the country, but Mayor Bobby Tufts is now out of office.

He's possibly the most adorable city leader in the country, but Mayor Bobby Tufts is now out of office.

Robert Tufts' two terms as Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota, just ended. WCCO-TV sat down with the pint-sized politician to get his thoughts on his time in office.

The office had its perks.

"Nobody could arrest me, not even a cop," the 5-year-old said.

But Mayor Bobby is ready to move on. He couldn't be a kid while running the northern Minnesota town.

"Well, I have to look at the cameras so much I can't be googly eyes and fun and nonsense," he said.

Gone are the fedora and sport coat, replaced by a new, more casual look.

"A polo shirt and some spikes. And the spikes just, we have some gel, you put it in your hair and you're spikied," Bobby said.

Now it's time to do what the 5-year-old does best: be a 5-year-old.

"Aw. you might not want to sniff near me because I just tooted," he laughed during an interview. "And a toot means fart, so don't use that."

A younger brother could soon throw his hat into the race for mayor. James Douglas Tufts says he's ready. But for now, 16-year-old Eric Mueller is in charge. And Robert Tufts isn't holding back with the advice.

"Be good to the town and don't be mean to it," Bobby said.

After helping raise money for local charities and declaring ice cream the top of the food pyramid, it was just time to move on, Bobby said.

"It was fun, but it's time to pass on the vote," Bobby told The Associated Press on a day after he lost the annual election.

Bobby's rule over the tiny town - population ranging from nine to 28 people - was purely ceremonial, being that Dorset has no formal city government. People can vote as many times as they like - for $1 a vote - at ballot boxes around town. The winner is drawn at random during the annual Taste of Dorset festival.

Bobby said he was proud of his efforts during his reign in Dorset, about 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis. He helped raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley in Fargo, North Dakota. One of his other major acts was declaring ice cream a necessary food.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.