Step aside, Santa Claus: There's (maybe) another Christmas-themed politician in North Pole.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, a candidate named "Buddy The Elf" has filed to run as a 2016 write-in candidate for president.
In the August filing, the candidate lists his street address as simply "North Pole, North Pole, Alaska," and his campaign committee name is designated as "Buddy The Elf 4 Prez."
An Alaska public records search listed no results for any individuals under that name. Whether it's the actual Buddy the Elf from the 2003 Christmas comedy "Elf" starring Will Ferrell remains to be seen.
In an emailed statement, an FEC spokesperson said that while the commission has jurisdiction over federal campaign finance laws, it does not have the authority or capacity to make a judgment on a candidate's eligibility to run for office. All candidates running for federal office must file with the commission once they have raised or spent $5,000 in a campaign activity, but the spokesperson noted that anyone can file, regardless of if they have reached that threshold.
Should Buddy The Elf exist, he'll be in good company in North Pole. Santa Claus (his legal name) won a seat on the North Pole City Council Tuesday. The actual community of North Pole, population 2,000, is located just outside of Fairbanks. It's self-described as a town "where the spirit of Christmas lives year round."
Other presidential candidates of note include Rocky Balboa, Captain Crunch, Beast Mode and Doctor Pepper, among others. There's even a Buddy The Cat running who might muddy the waters for Buddy the Elf supporters.