Mike Howard has been an Irving resident since 1967.
He said he's been a council member since 1981-1985. But in February of 2014, he submitted a petition to the City of Irving, requesting Dylan Westie, his pet dog, be added to the ballot for the upcoming mayoral race.
Howard wasn't serious of course, but he said disappointment of current city leaders led him to take such action.
"After seeing some of the innate actions that our current city council has been accomplishing, I talked to a lot of individuals and they were certainly dismayed at what was going on in the city. I said ‘Well I just might run Dylan for mayor,’ and they said, ‘I think I’d rather vote for the dog rather than what some of the incumbents are doing,’" Howard said.
Howard filed the paperwork Tuesday, knowing it didn't have the necessary requirements to qualify Dylan. Still, he hoped the mayor and council got a clear message.
"I know politicians have egos and that’s fine, but it should not be ego-driven to do what’s right for the citizens," Howard said.
