Crossword Genius

Local leader could strike gold (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mayor

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'local leader' is the definition.
'mayor' can be an answer for 'leader' (I have seen 'Municipal leader' mean 'mayor' so perhaps 'leader' could also mean 'mayor'). I'm not certain of the 'local' bit.

'could strike gold' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'could' could be 'may' (I've seen this before) and 'may' is found within the answer.
'gold' could be 'or' ('or' is the heraldic name for gold) and 'or' is found within the answer.
This accounts for all the letters.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for mayor that I've seen before include "City government head" , "Civic dignitary" , "Town's elected head" , "Municipal official" , "Corporation head" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.