Long-serving mayor of idyllic Michigan island has just been re-elected — for the 50th time

Margaret Doud is celebrating a golden anniversary of sorts.

On Tuesday, Doud was re-elected as the mayor of Mackinac Island, the premier tourist spot of Michigan, a state known for tourism. Located in Lake Huron between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is barely four square miles and is well known for breathtaking views, stately Victorian structures, and tasty fudge.

'When the time is right, I will step on.'

Notably, the quaint island about a four-hour drive from the Motor City followed by a 20-minute ferry ride is car-free, leaving its 8.2 miles of road open for horse, bicycle, and foot traffic only.

Over a million visitors from all over the globe travel to Mackinac Island each year, but only about 600 residents live there year-round. Doud is one of them.

In 1975, she took over the family business, the Windermere Hotel. That same year, she was also elected mayor.

And since the city charter requires the mayor to be elected annually, Doud has run for — and won — re-election every year since. She won the race Tuesday unopposed.

David Jurcak, president of the iconic Grand Hotel, was among the islanders who congratulated Doud on her 50th re-election as mayor.

"She continues to shape the future of Mackinac Island through her enduring leadership, steady presence, and deep commitment to our residents and businesses," Jurcak said, according to MLive. "Grand Hotel thanks Mayor Doud for the unwavering support of island businesses and for all she does to keep Mackinac Island thriving."

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Now entering her 52nd year in office, Doud keeps busy leading the city council and running the hotel. She participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 1, marking the official beginning of the Mackinac Island tourist season.

According to the Windermere website, one of Doud's proudest achievements in office is maintaining the horse-and-buggy culture often associated with the Victorian Era.

"I’ve preached over the years I’ve been mayor that we cannot lose the ambiance of Mackinac," she said. "The horse culture is certainly part of that uniqueness."

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Photo of horse and buggy and Victorian building on Mackinac Island by Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

While 51 years makes Doud the longest-serving current mayor in America, she still has a ways to go to become the longest-serving mayor in American history. Hilmar Moore served as the mayor of Richmond, Texas, for an astonishing 63 years, from 1949 until his death in 2012.

Still, Doud, who turns 83 later this month, previously indicated retirement may still be a ways off: "Oh, you know what Kenny Rogers says, 'I know when to hold them, and I know when to fold them.'

"When the time is right, I will step on, but I still have some projects I’d like to see completed."

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