One of the most well-known political faces in campaigns in South Carolina has absolutely no chance of being elected. Why? Because he's a bulldog named Boots McMaster who has posed in several campaign series alongside his human Henry McMaster, who actually is running for lieutenant governor in Charleston, S.C.

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But Boots isn't the first dignified canine to make his political debut, in fact, it could be said that politics in the state have indeed become a dog-eat-dog world, with various photogenic pooches competing for the limelight as the most-recognizable political pups.

Reports state that over half of American households own at least one dog, which has inspired South Carolina politicians to start featuring some of their own furry friends in their campaigns.

Recently, Ace and Angel Ervin, two miniature schnauzers, and a yellow lab named Strom have become recognizable faces in South Carolina, although Boots still holds the top spot as the most popular political canine.

Boots appears alongside McMaster in his TV campaign and is introduced as the family watchdog, after which McMaster makes a play on words by declaring himself "South Carolina's watchdog."

On his website, the political candidate even features a dog tag which leads the viewer directly to the popular ad. With a $100 donation, fans of the furry friend can receive a picture of McMaster and his famous dog with both of their 'signatures.'

It's no secret that dogs and politicians have long gone hand in hand.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had a Scottish terrier he loved so much that he allegedly sent ships to rescue her when she was left behind during a visit to the Aleutian Islands.

Even George W. Bush's administration had a political pooch named First Dog Barney and, most recently, the Obama family adopted their second dog, a Portuguese water dog named Sunny.

As for voters, studies show that they aren't more likely to vote for candidates who feature their dogs in ads, but perhaps a face like Boots' may melt more than a few voting hearts.

Tagspolitical dogs, political pooches, south carolina, charleston, boots mcmaster, boots