By Cox Media Group National Content Desk
NORTH POLE, Alaska (Easy106.5.com/MyFoxBoston.com) -- Santa Claus is now officially representing North Pole – but it’s not what you think.
According to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, a man whose legal name is Santa Claus received 58 votes in the 2,200-person city of North Pole, Alaska in a write-in campaign for an open City Council seat. Claus launched the campaign when no candidates had officially filed for the two open council seats.
Claus, who started campaigning just two weeks before the Tuesday election, will join the six-member City Council.
The second seat went to Elyse Dawson, a youth pastor in North Pole who began a write-in campaign less than two weeks before the Oct. 6 election.
“I think Santa Claus and Elyse Dawson will be great,” said North Pole City Clerk Kathy Weber.
Claus, who legally changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor, is the former president of the North Pole Chamber of Commerce.
KTUU reports Claus paraded around in a red velvet suit during his campaign.
"I'm sure glad Santa won," the News-Miner reported one person said.
Santa thanked his supporters in a Facebook post, saying that he was looking forward to serving his community
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
