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Meeting the 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota

By Betsy Wuebker 23 Comments

(Last Updated On: February 24, 2020)

James Tufts, the sprightly 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota, squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry,” he says, “I do this stuff all the time.”

Disclosure:We visited Central and Northwest Minnesota on a press trip with Explore Minnesota Tourism, and were the guests of its business partners.

The 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota, James Tufts, is putting his tiny upstate hamlet on the map and we’re here to meet him. James made history about a year ago when he was elected at the age of 3, succeeding his older brother, Bobby, age 7, who had already served two terms and was two days older than James when he won his first election. (There was an intervening term when the office was held by a 16-year-old.)

4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota

James Tufts, the 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota

Dorset is one of those places in the northern Midwest that one might be tempted to dismiss as drive-through or flyover in nature. To be sure, it can be darn tough to make a living up here; the topsoil is thin and the winters are harsh. Farming yields far less than it does even an hour or two downstate. In a sort of cruel irony, the need to winter over is greater. This is a catch-22 that can force entire local economies to a precarious edge. But relegating Dorset to obscurity would mean missing out.

Dorset Minnesota

Main Street in Dorset Minnesota

Dorset, in a display of typical plucky bravado so prevalent “up north,” cheekily bills itself as the Restaurant Capital of the World. It holds an annual Taste of Dorset Festival every August at which the main event, aside from the eating, is the mayoral election. It’s all done by write-in, and it’ll cost you a buck to put your candidate’s name on a slip. Then the names are drawn out of a hat. When we ask James what he thinks got him elected, he says, “Just lucky, I guess.” We think he’s too modest, but that’s Minnesota for you.

4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota

The Dorset Minnesota Trading Post has a weathered appearance.

Dorset has battled back after lightning strikes destroyed two of its four restaurants by fire in 2014. Just one month prior to our visit, Companeros and the Dorset House reopened, after a couple of summer employees who had met and married while working at the combined restaurants successfully spearheaded a financial campaign to purchase and rebuild. It’s just the sort of story you want to hear: equal parts love and grit. That’s Minnesota for you, too.

4-year-old Mayor of Dorset Minnesota

James takes aim.

Dorset is tight-knit, “more like family,” explains Emma, mother to James and Bobby. “When I was in a tough emotional and financial place, this town embraced me and helped me get back on my feet. Whatever the community wants from us, we’ll give.” She does more than that, it would appear. While many moms would argue they have very little to do with their kids’ personalities, it’s clear Emma expects “professional” behavior out of her 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset. Both boys look and act the part. When we ask James what his duties are, the response is, “Shake hands and be nice to people.”

James wants to know if he can show us his favorite places around town. Why not? Off we go to the candy store to fire cork guns and gaze on the merchandise. He’s precocious, talkative and gregarious. Bobby gazes fondly at his brother, allowing him the limelight and chiming in when necessary. Check out our video below (or here if you’re in a reader). Sorry about my fingers!

You begin to think of these two as older than their years; their engaging personalities are perceptive and guileless. Somehow the idea of a 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota seems like the most natural – and charming – thing in the world.

James is a national celebrity, with appearances coast-to-coast ranging from Good Morning America to Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots. Both boys are surprisingly blasรฉ about all the fuss. To them, it’s all part of a day’s work for the 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota.

Bobby confides that he’d like to run for President someday, and we encourage him to consider doing it right now. “You’d make a much better candidate than anyone,” we insist, and he beams. According to the Dorset Daily Bugle (“published once a year in Dorset, Minnesota, whether there’s unbelievable news or not!”), all the nation’s presidential candidates have reached out to his younger brother for advice: “Be nice and no poopy talk.” Other headlines in the paper report, “Obamas retiring to Dorset,” and “Norse mosquitoes ready to slaughter Zika ones.”

James and Bobby, Mayor and Ambassador respectively

James and Bobby, Mayor and Ambassador respectively

At the end of our visit, we’re disappointed that we have to leave. We could easily spend a few days in Dorset this summer, or even a month or two. The next Taste of Dorset is scheduled for Sunday, August 7, and we fantasize about submitting our choice for mayor on an official ballot slip with the requisite $1 fee, or even stuffing the ballot box, which is perfectly legal. Re-electing the 4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota might just be the most meaningful political activity we engage in, both this year, or ever.

4-year-old Mayor of Dorset, Minnesota

Our photo op with James and Bobby. Just as the shutter clicks, he squeezes my hand tightly.

Tips and Practicalities: Dorset is located in northwest Minnesota on Highway 34, six miles east of Park Rapids and one mile north of Highway 226. Within a few miles of Itasca State Park (where the Mississippi Headwaters are located), Dorset is a mecca for bicyclists, walkers and rollerbladers who use the scenic Heartland Trail. Highway 34 is ablaze with autumn color beginning in September.

Dorset’s boardwalk shopping and dining options include four restaurants (Companeros, Dorset House, La Pasta, and the Dorset Cafe), antique and gift stores, an ice cream diner and a combination book and candy store. Stay in town at the Heartland Trail Bed and Breakfast.

Pinnable Image:

4 year old mayor of dorset minnesota

Disclosure: We were the guests of Explore Minnesota Tourism, Visit Park Rapids and La Pasta Restaurant during our visit to Dorset.

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Filed Under: Travel, Minnesota, USA

Comments

  1. Cory Lee says

    June 10, 2016 at 6:29 am

    This is so awesome! What a great mayor! He should definitely run for President this year. I’d vote for him in a heartbeat. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 10, 2016 at 7:50 pm

      Hi Cory – He could probably win! Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Vicki Winters says

    June 11, 2016 at 9:44 am

    JUST OMG. Great post. Great interview with the Mayor!

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:17 am

      Thanks, Vicki – We’ll not soon forget these two wonderful little boys.

      Reply
  3. Nancie says

    June 11, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    That is so cute! I think those two boys have a great future in Dorset or wherever they end up! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:17 am

      Hi Nancie – We agree! Super citizens!

      Reply
  4. Donna Janke says

    June 12, 2016 at 11:44 pm

    This was such a fun post. The mayor of Dorset is charming. Betsy, what was Pete’s reaction to your question about whether a black gun was for old people?

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:18 am

      Hi Donna – Well, since I had a black one, too, he couldn’t say too much. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  5. Rebecca Hall (Bex) says

    June 13, 2016 at 9:29 am

    What a cutie! Hell yes, he’d make a better President than the current joke that’s going on in your country at the moment! I shall have to make my way to Dorset Minnesota purely to pay this little man a visit!

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:18 am

      Hi Bex – I’m sure you’d be as delighted with him as we are!

      Reply
  6. Charles McCool says

    June 13, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    Too cool. Mate beyond his years, for sure. Too bad he is not 35 and cannot run for President.

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:18 am

      Hi Charles – Yes, it’s a pity.

      Reply
  7. Kay Dougherty says

    June 13, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    I hope lobbyists don’t buy James for a few more years. I saw him on TV once. He could definitely be a contender in this year’s election but doesn’t seem to say enough polarizing things to succeed!

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:20 am

      Hi Kay – At least he’d make things far more interesting than they currently are.

      Reply
  8. Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields says

    June 13, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    I think a few politicians around the world today could learn a thing or two from this little guy.

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:20 am

      Hi Lyn – I totally agree.

      Reply
  9. Irene S. Levine says

    June 13, 2016 at 7:19 pm

    What an adorable “mayor” and a great story told so well! Gotta get me to Dorset!

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:20 am

      Hi Irene – I bet Bobby would take you for ice cream!

      Reply
  10. Denis Gagnon says

    June 13, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    Interesting article about the 4-yr old mayor of Dorset Minnesota and his brother. That’s cute fun and at the very least one can indeed argue that he would easily make a better president than our current one. But for Dorset to call itself the “Restaurant capital of the world” may be pushing the envelope just a bit, don’t you think?

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:21 am

      Hi Denis – Perhaps not. There is a restaurant in Dorset for every 5 or 6 people, so the per capita statistic might just support the claim. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  11. SARA KHANA says

    June 16, 2016 at 12:33 am

    That li’l kid is so cute.
    Loved the post and the mayor ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  12. alison abbott says

    June 19, 2016 at 5:33 pm

    Now James would certainly add some interest to the election. What a charming kid-hope I’m around to see all he accomplishes when he grows up. I think he’s going places for sure.

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      June 20, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Hi Alison – Me, too. What a kid!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Betsy. I traveled the world full time for close to four years and have visited more than 50 countries. If you’re a curious and thoughtful traveler, you’re in the right place. No matter if you’re new to travel or an old hand, I can help you refine your bucket list!

Here’s to a happier, travel-centered life!

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