PHOTO: Brittany DeFreitas, fifth grade teacher at Green Acres Elementary School, North Haven with her student Theresa “Tessa” Hallinan
HARTFORD, CT—The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) is pleased to announce that Theresa “Tessa” Hallinan, a resident of North Haven and fifth-grade student at Green Acres Elementary School, has been elected by her peers to serve as Connecticut’s 2026 Kid Governor. The announcement was made during a school assembly in North Haven with the Kid Governor-Elect’s classmates and teachers in attendance. Hallinan ran on a platform of addressing inclusion for kids with disabilities and will serve as the state’s eleventh Kid Governor.
More than 10,300 Connecticut fifth graders from 360 classes and 160 schools were registered to vote in November’s Statewide Election and students cast their votes for one of seven final candidates. The six other finalists will serve as Tessa’s Cabinet:
| Ajla Reci | Charles Wright Elementary School, Wethersfield | Screen Time |
| Alyvia Stoddard | Glastonbury-East Hartford Magnet School | Marine Pollution |
| Dylan Ellis | CREC Academy of International Studies Elementary School, South Windsor | Racism |
| Myra Ruparel | Center Elementary School, Ellington | Social Inclusion |
| Nana Appau | Odyssey Community School, Manchester | Anxiety |
| Samuel K. James | Renzulli Academy, Hartford | Cyberbullying |
The students’ campaign videos can be viewed at CT.KidGovernor.org/candidates2025.
“Tessa’s platform and commitment to inclusion for students with disabilities in school activities resonated with the voters,” said Linda Preston, Connecticut’s Kid Governor® State Coordinator for CTDC. “We look forward to working with her and her six Cabinet members to bring their voices and ideas to their constituents across the state!”
“It’s been an exciting campaign season, and we thank all the Connecticut fifth graders who participated in this real election,” said Brian Cofrancesco, Director of Kid Governor® for CTDC. “We congratulate all the Statewide Election candidates for having the courage to stand up for a community issue important to them and applaud their classmates, educators, and family members who supported them. Kid Governor-Elect Tessa will join Kid Governors in four other states in empowering their constituents to make a difference in their communities next year. We look forward to working with her and her Cabinet to make a positive impact across Connecticut in 2026.”
Kid Governor-Elect Tessa’s winning three-point platform includes:
- Sharing videos about including, accepting, and understanding kids with disabilities for classes to watch together.
- Inviting schools to start buddy systems that pair fifth grade leaders with kids with disabilities.
- Encouraging schools to designate a “Buddy Lunch Table” in the cafeteria where students can sit if they feel left out or need a friend.
“I ran to be Connecticut’s next Kid Governor to stand up for all students with disabilities and make sure every student across Connecticut is included, respected and safe,” said Kid Governor-Elect Tessa in her campaign video.
Kid Governor-Elect Tessa and her Cabinet will be sworn into office at Inauguration Day at Connecticut’s Old State House in January, kicking off their one-year term of leadership. They will work together to support Tessa’s platform and to advance their own three-point platforms.
Kid Governor® is CTDC’s award-winning civic education program in residence at Connecticut’s Old State House. The program 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 seven candidates were chosen from among fifty-one nominees, each nominated by their
school for the 2025 Statewide Election. Nominees submitted campaign videos about a community issue important to them and a three-point plan designed to help other students take action on the issue. From November 3-12 more than 10,300 fifth-grade voters watched the candidates’ campaign videos, considered their platforms, and cast a ballot for the student they supported.
Connecticut’s Kid Governor® is presented with funding and partnership support from CT Humanities and with support from CTDC’s Community Partners: Travelers, PeoplesBank, and David Alan Hospitality Group. Kid Governor® is also a growing movement in civic education with affiliate programs in New Hampshire, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Vermont where students elect their own state’s Kid Governor each fall.
For more about Connecticut’s Kid Governor®, visit CT.KidGovernor.org or follow @CTKidGovernor on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) provides people of all ages with a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their communities. With a broad range of initiatives including The Connecticut Network (CT-N), Connecticut’s Old State House, Connecticut History Day, Connecticut’s Kid Governor®, The Connecticut Democracy Center Debate Tournament, and We The People: The Citizen and The Constitution, The CTDC envisions a society where everyone is empowered to participate in our democracy. Learn more by visiting ctdemocracycenter.org and engaging with the CTDC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
November 21, 2025
Contact: Barbara Dell, Marketing Manager
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116
barbara.dell@ctdemocracycenter.org