SpongeBob the Movie 59: The Mayor of Bikini Bottom

SpongeBob the Movie 59: The Mayor of Bikini Bottom is the 59th SpongeBob movie. It follows Bikini Bottom's search for a new mayor after the old one is removed. This movie is unusual as it doesn't feature SpongeBob as the main character.

Plot
Summer vacation is over and Bikini Bottom's children go back to school. Meanwhile, the Krusty Krab is having yet another drop in profits as news spreads of the dangers of eating junk food, despite the fact that the Krabby Patty has an enormous nutritional value. At SpongeBob's suggestion, Mr. Krabs stages a spelling bee in the restaurant, involving children from across Bikini Bottom. At one point during the tournament, a boy correctly spells "burger", but Mayor Fisho Longfish "corrects" the boy and forces him to change the spelling to "burgerr". During a subsequent press conference, Longfish looks puzzled before "correcting" himself and changing the spelling to "burgress". Sandy Cheeks embarks on an investigation by herself and eventually reveals the Mayor's long history of paranoia, depression, electroshock therapies and erratic behavior (e.g. repeatedly fined for illegal overtaking, lashing out at beggars for "disturbing my connection to "The Internets".) Mayor Longfish abruptly resigns and exiles himself into the Shady Shoals rest home.

An election is hastily planned. Mr. Krabs, knowing that a candidacy will raise the restaurant's profile, announces his candidacy, much to Squidward's disgust. Plankton (as his kind is banned from elections for being "too small") convinces his computer wife Karen to run for Mayor on his behalf. Squidward reluctantly devises a 1-minute commercial titled "Dialogue With Citizens" in which Krabs poses as a hero answering his citizens' needs (although it is in black-and-white to save money). Early polls show Krabs with a massive lead (one shows Krabs leading by 98%). Plankton and Karen starts campaigning on the streets, advocating "equality and money for all". Within a few days, Krabs and Karen are locked in a tie (exactly 50-50). Krabs holds a "supporters' rally" outside the city hall (which features Old Man Jenkins as a key speaker) and is again leading by 65% the next day.

The battle for the mayoral office remains close until, a week later, an unlikely candidate enters the stage. Mrs. Puff promises to "put Bikini Bottom on the wheels". She quickly gains an 80% lead, Krabs and Karen equally sharing the remaining 20%. The Krabs campaign suffers a massive blow when Squidward cooperates with Karen and Plankton and creates commercials for them. By the last two weeks before Election Day, Karen is narrowly leading with a 48% share, Puff behind with 47%, and Krabs far behind with only 5%. Krabs sues the other two candidates for "baseless accusations while campaigning". The court battle finally ends in chaos a day before election; unsatisfied, Krabs, with SpongeBob's support, declares himself the rightful winner and leaves the court. This action however makes him unpopular as all of his remaining supporters abandon him (except for SpongeBob and Patrick).

On election day, Karen wins election day, gaining 50,1% of votes while Puff earns 49,9% (SpongeBob doesn't participate, under Krabs' orders). The Puff campaign team convinces the candidate that there are irregularities during the election, and Puff refuses to recognize Karen's victory. Karen's victory speech is interrupted by frequent booing by Puff supporters within the audience. Krabs still believes in himself as the rightful winner, and the three candidates hold separate inaugurations (in the Krusty Krab, Chum Bucket, and Puff's boating school) the next week. Old Man Jenkins, who does not vote during the election, offers a solution; the candidate who finishes first running (beginning at 3 am) from Shady Shoals to the city hall will become the undisputed mayor.

Just after 3:15 am, Patrick, unable to sleep because of "some nasty junk food", wanders to the city hall using the road which is part of the race. Longfish, assigned to greet the candidates on finish line, asks Patrick whether he represents a candidate in the race. Patrick insists that he is the candidate (he is actually a candidate for a 100.000-dollar "Search for Stupidity Talent" competition sponsored by the "Bikini Bottomites United Against Junk Food" awareness campaign, which he wins). Patrick insists that "the others just dropped out" (the other candidates in the competition drop out as they don't want to face the "too stupid", and sometimes annoying, Patrick). Longfish and others present on the finish line declare Patrick the Mayor of Bikini Bottom. The three candidates arrive (at the very same time, 4 am, after a close race) just in time for Patrick to be sworn in (by Longfish) in an informal inauguration ceremony, much to their anger and frustration. Longfish refuses to believe that they are the real candidates and calls the police, who then take them away from the ceremony. SpongeBob arrives as they are taken away and promptly salutes "Mayor Patrick" before leading the crowd, including Longfish, in singing "Hail to the Mayor".