PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon has a new Kid Governor.

Fifth graders across the state elected Zoya Shah of Beaverton School District’s Findley Elementary School as the Beaver State’s seventh Kid Governor, and Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers was there for the announcement and to congratulate her.

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Shah’s platform, which is chosen by every candidate for Oregon Kid Governor, was “Creating Mental Health Awareness and Acceptance in Kids,” according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Her plan includes: creating awareness, normalizing and removing stigma; identifying triggers; and providing tools and support to cope.

In her campaign video, Shah explained this is a cause dear to her because she’s suffered from anxiety.

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“I was lucky to get the support and tools I needed, but not everyone may get the needed help and that’s why I’m here to ensure no kid who is suffering has to fight this alone,” she said.

“The Oregon Kid Governor is a great civic education program, supported by the Oregon Capitol Foundation and our office, to help teach young Oregonians how their government works,” Myers said in a statement, adding, “The future of our state looks promising thanks to these impressive future leaders.”

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Eye on Northwest Politics

Oregon Kid Governor is a program that was implemented in 2017 and is open to all fifth graders. For the 2024 Oregon Kid Governor program, 22 videos were submitted and then whittled down to seven by independent judges, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. The seven candidates were then voted on by thousands of fifth graders across the state.

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