Gus the cat and Franklin the dog are in a heated race to become Travis County’s next pet mayor. The furry candidates are running in a mock election hosted by the Austin-area League of Women Voters and the Travis County Clerk’s Office. Lorianne Willett / KUT News A poster for the pet mayoral race sits on a table at the voting event. Anyone 8 or older can cast their ballots using a real Travis County voting machine. “I'm running for pet mayor because somebody has to be the adult in the room,” Gus said via his human Waxman.