In Alaska's Fat Bear Week election, there's no party like a salmon party

Fat Bear candidate 128 Grazer is approximately 17-19 years old. She has a light coat in the spring that darkens in the fall, but she keeps her distinctive fluffy blonde ears. (Lian Law/NPS Photo)

In many ways, it's a model election. The campaign runs for only one week, and all the candidates are well-grounded and devoid of hypocrisy.

In fact, all the candidates are enthusiastically out for themselves — because they are bears, after all, embracing the ursine urge to eat like there's no tomorrow and fortify themselves for winter hibernation.