World's Most Bizarre Political Candidates

Cacareco (Brazil)

The Rhino who won Sao Paulo's council elections with 100,000 votes

 Cacareco, a rhinoceros at the São Paulo zoo, was a candidate for the 1958 city council elections with the intention of protesting against political corruption. Electoral officials, of course, did not accept Cacareco's candidacy, but he eventually won 100,000 votes, more than any other party in that same election (which was also marked by rampant absenteeism). 

Jackson Kirk Grimes (USA)

Running for US 2008 election with "the ideologies of Mussolini and Saddam Hussein"

 Jackson Kirk Grimes (1950 - ) was the minor party US presidentialcandidate for the United Fascist Union party ticket, who ran in the 1996 to 2004 US presidential elections and is running for the 2008 election. He claimed to achieve "6th place" in the 2000 presidential election. His campaigns platform includes abolishing Christianity and replacing it with classical Roman Paganism fused with the political system of Fascist Italy. He openly opposed the Nazi style of fascism, but claimed to support a society based around white European culture.

Mitsuo Matayoshi (Japan)

The self-proclaimed Jesus Christ

 Mitsuo Matayoshi is an eccentric Japanese politician, self-styled as "The only God Mitsuo Matayoshi Jesus Christ". After a life of preacher he has developed a particular concepts of Christianity, strongly influenced by Eschatology. In 1997 He established the World Economic Community Party based on his conviction that he is the God and Christ. 

According to his program, he will do the Last Judgement as the Christ but the way to do this is totally within the current political system and its legitimacy. His first step as the Savior is to be appointed the prime minister of Japan. Then he will reform Japanese society and then the United Nations should offer him the honor of its General Secretary. Then Matayoshi Jesus will reign over the whole world with two legitimate authorities, not only religious but also political. 

He has presented himself in many elections but he has not won yet. He has become well-known for his eccentric campaigns where he urges opponents to commit suicide by hara-kiri (disembowelment, note that he avoids the more polite seppuku) and says that he will cast them into Gehenna. Like most Japanese politicians, he campaigns in a single small regulation size mini-van fitted with oversized loudspeakers.  

onathon "The Impaler" Sharkey (USA)

The Satanic Vampire that ran for Governor in 2006, now runs for US President 2008

 Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey (1964 - ) is a self-proclaimed satanist, "sanguinary vampyre", Hecate Witch and professional boxer as well as wrestler (under the name Rocky "Hurricane" Flash) and perennial candidatefor public office. He has filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for President of the United States twice as an Independent candidate (in 2004 and in 2008) and for Congress in at least three states -- his home State of New Jersey (1999-2000, Republican), Indiana (Reform Party, 2000) and Florida (2001-02, Republican). In 2006, he ran for governor of Minnesota. 

The Vampires, Witches, and Pagans Party was founded by Sharkey in 2005. It is officially recognized by United States Federal Election Committee, although there is little evidence of any membership or activity other than two persons. The Party advocates protection of the religious beliefs and political advancment of individuals identifying themselves as vampires, witches, pagans, demons, Satanists, Wiccans, and those professing similar lifestyles and religious views. An independently produced documentary about Sharkey, Impaler, debuted in Australia on February 9, 2007. His latest project is online: Jonathon "The Impaler" For President 2008

Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda (Mexico)

"The Perpetual candidate": lost 10 times, yet considered himself to be the legitimate president

Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda (1865 - 1925) was a Mexican eccentric who was famous for being a perennial candidatein his country's presidential elections. Although he never managed to win a significant share of the votes, he considered himself to be the victor every time. He was acandidate ten times: 1892, 1896, 1900, 1904, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1920 and 1924 and also tried to run for a seat in the Congress of Mexico at least twice. The eccentric Zúñiga never got more than a few votes, but always claimed to have been the victim of fraud and considered himself to be the legitimate president. 

It was said that Zúñiga honestly believed he was elected by the people, and turned into a popular figure in Mexico City. He was often invited for parties, in restaurants or for other public events, in which the population treated him as if he really were the president. 

Adolf Lu Hitler Marak (India)

"Maybe my parents liked the name and hence christened me Hitler"

Adolf Lu Hitler R. Marak is a politician in the state of Meghalaya, India. A member of the Nationalist Congress Party, he was forest and environment minister in the government of E.K. Mawlong and then cooperation minister under F.A. Khonglam. He lost his seat in the state assembly in the February 2003 elections. On June 27, 2003, he was arrested on charges of maintaining links with the banned militant group Achik National Volunteers' Council [1]. He was released on bail about a month later. It may be noted that his name is not particularly curious within Meghalaya, where other local politicians are named Lenin R. Marak, Stalin L. Nangmin, Frankenstein W. Momin, or Tony Curtis Lyngdoh. Hitler Marak told the Hindustan Times: "Maybe my parents liked the name and hence christened me Hitler... I am happy with my name, although I don't have any dictatorial tendencies."