HOLLY — Big development in the Holly Village President race: apparently we are no longer electing a village president.

We are deciding whether the Republic survives.

A local political commentary post Friday compared challenger Anna Matson to both George Washington and Cincinnatus, two men remembered for reluctantly accepting enormous political power and then voluntarily giving it up.

Which is certainly one way to describe running for a two-year term as Village President of Holly, Michigan.

According to the post, incumbent April Brandon is not simply seeking reelection. She is walking toward an “unopposed throne,” treating the office as though it were her “birthright,” while Matson is being drafted by the people to prevent what was described, with admirable restraint, as a “coronation.”

A coronation.

For Holly Village President.

To be fair, the Village President has real authority. The Village Manager still runs the day-to-day government, so this is less “Commander in Chief” and more “person with the nicest chair at a very tense HOA meeting.”

Matson, meanwhile, is portrayed as so reluctant to seek power that she apparently qualifies for the Washington standard, despite having already run for Village President in 2024.

Which is a pretty generous definition of “reluctant.”

George Washington wanted to retire to Mount Vernon after helping create a new country.

Cincinnatus was called away from his farm to save Rome.

Anna Matson ran for Holly Village President two years ago and is running for Holly Village President again.

There may be some differences in scale.

The post closes by observing that history’s greatest leaders are often the ones who have to be talked into taking power.

Maybe.

But if we’re already at Washington, Cincinnatus, thrones and coronations in September, we should probably pace ourselves.

There are still nearly two months until Election Day, and Holly has not yet exhausted Caesar, Churchill, Joan of Arc or Aragorn, rightful heir of Gondor.

The winner, whoever it is, will receive a two-year term, a gavel and the privilege of spending several evenings a month discussing water rates.

Cincinnatus had it easy.