Montpelier, VT – Seven fifth graders from across Vermont have made it onto the final ballot for the upcoming election for Vermont’s 2026 Kid Governor. Each candidate developed a campaign platform centered around an important issue facing our state and a three-point plan for how fifth graders can address that issue in their own communities. The candidates created campaign videos outlining their platforms and persuading fellow fifth graders to vote for them to be Vermont’s first Kid Governor.
“I had the honor of visiting each of these candidates over the past week, and I’m thrilled to announce them as the finalists for Vermont’s first Kid Governor election,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “The winning candidate will be the Governor, and the other six will serve as their cabinet, working together to implement the Governor’s platform. Each of these inspiring students has an important role to play, and I can’t wait to work with them all!”
The final candidates for the 2025-26 Statewide Election and their campaign platform are:
- Gaelen – Improving School Lunches
- Karin – Mental Health Support for School Safety
- Lincoln – Healthcare Access
- Phoebe – Mental Illness in Children
- Roslyn – Homelessness
- Rumano – Vermont Strong: Inside and Out
- Westyn – Bullying
You can watch the candidates’ campaign videos by clicking here.
“When you watch the videos, you immediately notice that the concerns of our fifth graders are top issues the Legislature grapples with,” states Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “I look forward to hearing the ideas and solutions this exceptional group has.”
The seven candidates were chosen from among twenty-six nominees, each nominated by their school for the 2025 Statewide Election. From November 3-14, more than 1,000 fifth graders will watch the candidates’ campaign videos, consider their platforms, and cast a ballot for the student they support. The Secretary of State’s Office will tabulate the votes and announce the elected 2026 Kid Governor and their Cabinet on November 19.
The 2026 Kid Governor and Cabinet will be sworn into office at an inauguration ceremony at the State House in January, kicking off their one-year term of leadership. Over the year, they will work together with support from the Secretary of State’s Office to put their three-point platforms into action.
Kid Governor® is a free program that empowers fifth graders to change the world by using an authentic election to teach important lessons about state government, voting, and the power of civic participation. Participants develop skills in critical thinking, research, public speaking, and persuasion. The program, founded by the Connecticut Democracy Center in 2015, has spread nationwide and garnered broad support from educators and elected officials. Vermont joins Nebraska, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma this year in bringing this unique civic learning experience to fifth graders from across the state.
“The Kid Governor program gives young people an opportunity to get involved in civics at an early age—and it’s our goal to empower them to remain engaged in our democracy and within their communities for the rest of their lives,” said Brian Cofrancesco, Director of Kid Governor®. “Our program is realistic, fun, and underscores that even young people have the power to take up a cause and create change in our world.”