A homeless man in Michigan is asking people for a different kind of change. George Golubovskis is hoping his fellow residents of Traverse City will give him their vote for mayor.
Golubovskis is running as a write-in candidate in the Tuesday mayoral election for the northern Michigan town, he explains in a YouTube video uploaded by a user going by "Tyler Durdin" that's received over 3,000 views since it was released Oct. 25.
He claims to be homeless and not receiving any public assistance, but doesn't reveal much more about his circumstances. Golubovskis also purports to have two degrees from the University of Michigan, including a masters in public policy, and says he's worked in Europe, New York and D.C. in politics and the private sector.
Write-in campaigns are difficult to win, but a major mistake made by current Mayor Michael Estes may have tipped the scales toward a newcomer. Estes was arrested for drunken driving on Oct. 23 after police saw his vehicle drifting out of his lane, according to MLive. Estes, 63, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12.
Estes is running against Rick Buckhalter on the official ballot, and Golubovskis is also joined by commission candidate John Reid, who filed as a write-in candidate shortly after Estes' arrest, according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
The paper states that, as Golubovskis isn't a registered voter in the city, votes for him won't count. In a comment on the YouTube video, the uploader says that they are challenging the section of the city's charter that requires voter registration to run for office.
But eligibility questions haven't deterred Golubovskis from attempting to win the hearts and minds of voters in Traverse City, one of the state's top cultural destinations on Lake Michigan.
"We'e trying to create a creative class here, folks, and were doing it really well so far, and we can continue onto that path," Golubovskis says in the video, which reminds viewers to vote on "Novemeber" 5.
In the video, he lays out several campaign promises:
"Here are my three promises to you. Number one: I am going to get a beard trim and also a haircut. Number two: I'll get a change of clothing."
We are still waiting on number three.
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