Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood Once Served as Mayor of Tiny California Town: Here’s Why

Clint Eastwood is known for his prominent name in Hollywood as an actor and director, but he was also a mayor of a small California town.

According to the US Census Bureau to town Carmel, California, is tiny, with only 8,859 residents in 2018. Eastwood decided to make his run for mayor, and it wasn’t for the $200 a month payday. 

Clint Eastwood For Mayor

In 1986, Clint Eastwood realized that the incumbent mayor, Charlotte Townsend, was getting a little too old for the office. When describing Townsend, Eastwood said she was “too distant” from her citizens, adding that she “used to knit during public meetings.”

After the realization, the award-winning actor decided to make a last-minute run that paid off with 72 percent of the vote in his favor. Clint Eastwood was no spring chicken, however, at 56-years-old when he took office.

“He gave no interviews to the national press and stayed tightly involved in the community. He did almost no paid advertising — just some buttons and bumper stickers,” Eastwood’s website says. “It was, all in all, one of the most tasteful campaigns in the history of modern American politics. He politely refused autographs when he was out on walking tours. His slogan was simple, ‘Bringing the Community Together,’ and in talks, he stressed his desire to build bridges between the business community and the residential community.”

In addition, Eastwood wanted to make changes to laws in the town he saw as unfair. Another reason Eastwood entered the race was for more selfish reasons such as rules, regulations, and taxes regarding building permits and zoning laws that prohibited him from building. 

Once elected, however, Clint Eastwood stuck to his word about bringing the community together. He legalized the selling of ice cream cones, saved and remodeled an animal sanctuary, and opened a children’s library. A modern-day hero.

After his two-year term was up, he did not run again due to tourists flocking the town. Many fans made their way to the small town in hopes of spotting the star while he led the town.

Nearly 30 years later, Clint Eastwood retuned to the small coastal town, where he currently calls home.

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