Oregon Kid Governor Lea Andrus was sworn in today at a ceremony in the State Capitol hosted by Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. Lea is a fifth grader at Hawks View Elementary in Sherwood Oregon. Her platform is promoting kindness and ending bullying. Her campaign video can be viewed here. 

Lea was joined today by her six cabinet members from across the state, previous Oregon Kid Governors, and Paul De Muniz, former chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, who delivered the oath of office. Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan hosted the ceremony and delivered remarks congratulating Lea. Secretary Fagan’s remarks also celebrated civics education and public engagement.     

“I am so inspired by Lea and her cabinet members. They’re all incredibly thoughtful and really care about making things better,” Secretary Fagan said. “Each of them is already using their voice to engage their communities and our state. I am thrilled for Lea and for Oregon as she begins her year as Oregon’s 2023 Kid Governor. I can’t wait to see what these fifth graders accomplish.”  

Lea Andrus was elected Kid Governor by her peers across Oregon in November. Over 3,300 students participated in the Oregon Kid Governor. Lea is joined by an impressive cabinet including:   

Kid Governor was started by the Connecticut Democracy Center in 2015 as a way of introducing Civics Education to fifth graders. It is in its sixth year in Oregon. The program is administered by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office.    

Watch a replay of Lea’s virtual inauguration here: http://or.kidgovernor.org/inauguration. Or download Lea’s media kit. 

Learn more about Lea and her platform, as well as the cabinet who will be serving with her in the year ahead, here: http://or.kidgovernor.org/    

If you would like to request an interview with Oregon Kid Governor Lea or any cabinet members, please contact Nikki Fisher at Nikki.Fisher@OR.KidGovernor.org.