Career
Shanks legally changed his name to Mike the Mover in 1990 to help promote his furniture moving business. According to Mover, he has run for public office more than 17 times, but has never been elected. Though originally motivated to run for office in order to draw attention to Washington"s complex regulations for movers, Mover"s more recent campaigns have been a marketing tactic to promote his business.
In 2004 he estimated $150,000 of his company"s annual revenue came from name familiarity generated by his ballot appearances.
Mover, who resides in Snohomish County, has twice been criminally convicted of operating an illegal moving business, and is the subject of a restraining order from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission stemming from his mailing of "nearly nude" photos of himself to the commission"s office.