Secretary of State announces Highgate pupil as Vermont’s 2026 Kid Governor-elect

After tallying up more than 1,000 votes from fifth graders across the state, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced the winner of the election for Vermont’s first Kid Governor: Roslyn Fortin, a fifth-grade student at Highgate Elementary in Highgate Center. Teacher Courtney Kiser brought the Kid Governor program to Highgate.

Fortin ran on a platform addressing homelessness. To achieve her vision, she outlined a three-point plan of action in which kids across Vermont can participate.

• Point 1: Starting clothing and food drives through donation bins at schools
• Point 2: Promoting “Fun Run for Hope” events to walk, jog or run to raise money for shelters
• Point 3: Organizing community potlucks, inviting people experiencing homelessness

As Fortin explained in her campaign video, “This plan isn’t just about giving things – it’s about giving kindness, giving time and giving hope.”

“I would like to congratulate each of our incredible Kid Governor candidates, who identified very important issues facing Vermont and developed meaningful platforms to tackle these issues – from ways to care for ourselves to ways to care for the world around us,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “I was particularly moved by how the candidates’ classmates supported them and cheered them on. And of course, candidates can only be elected if we all vote, so I thank all the fifth graders across Vermont who participated in this groundbreaking election. I’m so excited to work with Roslyn and her cabinet!”

During Fortin’s one-year term, she will work with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to advance the three points of her platform. Information and resources about her platform will be available here.

The other finalists in the statewide election, who will serve as the Kid Governor’s Cabinet and help Fortin implement her three-point platform and support each other to advance their own platforms, are:

• Karin Ashley – Barnet School, Barnet
• Phoebe Bingham – Red Fox Community School, Manchester
• Westyn Danforth – Bradford Elementary, Bradford
• Rumano Hassan – Champlain Elementary, Burlington
• Gaelen McNaughton – Weathersfield School, Weatherfield
• Lincoln Ratta – Lincoln Community School, Lincoln

Fortin and her Cabinet members will take their oaths of office in January at the State House in Montpelier.