While most attention at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Monday, February 2nd went to convening the 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature, a pair of youth governor programs sponsored by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) administered the oaths of office for their 2026 leaders.

OICA is pleased to coordinate year-long activities for the Oklahoma Kid Governor program, operated in conjunction with the Connecticut Democracy Center, and the Oklahoma 4-H Junior Governor program for 4th, 5th and 6th graders enrolled in 4-H.

For a little more about Kid Governor and the work we do, this civics education program immerses students in lesson plans and a real election to select a 5th grader who will serve a one-year term of active leadership. Our current Kid Governor was selected from 1,187 Oklahoma participating students.

Each student candidate selected an issue on which to run, and the classroom voted for their favorite. The winner then recorded a two-minute campaign video which was submitted into the statewide competition. From that, a panel comprised of Oklahoma’s former governors – David Walters, Frank Keating, Brad Henry and Mary Fallin – and OICA board members narrowed the field to the finalists.

The campaign videos for the finalists were shared with each participating classroom or school library program, a total of 37 from across the state. The election was timed to coincide with Election Day last November, and students cast their votes on ballots which resemble the actual Oklahoma ballots.

Oklahoma’s Kid Governor for 2026 is Katelyn Talley, a 5th grader from Valliant in southeastern Oklahoma. Her platform is animal abuse prevention.

The Kid Lieutenant Governor is Sophia Chavarria Rivera, a 5th grader from Bethany, and her platform is the prevention of bullying.

The Kid Secretary of State is Daphne Tanequodle, a 5th grader from Lawton, who was elected with a platform of addressing homelessness.

For our other set of young leaders, OICA co-sponsored a conference in October with 4-H that brought 72 interested 4-H students together in Stillwater. They learned about state government and then elected the Junior Governor and Junior Cabinet.

2026 Junior Governor Riley Braden is from Bristow in Creek County. Riley is home schooled and ran on a platform to protect and promote the sanctity of life.

Junior Lieutenant Governor is Whitlee Moser from Perkins in Payne County. Whitlee attends Perkins Tryon Intermediate School and ran on a platform of education.

Junior Secretary of State is Riley Rudder from Fort Towson. Riley attends Rattan Elementary in Pushmataha County and ran on a platform of turtle conservation The Junior Cabinet Member is Victoria Justice from Depew in Creek County. Victoria is homeschooled and her platform is to prevent debt collectors from making spam calls.

Toolkits consisting of free, custom-designed lesson plans reflecting Oklahoma’s system of state government help guide instructors through the program, the history and process of voting and the importance of active participation in civic life. Students choose their campaign issues on their own with guidance and support from the local teacher or 4-H leader.

The students also received a complimentary comic book, Mighty Mia and Dyna-Bit Save Democracy, that was written by me, with editing and artwork done by Literati Press in Oklahoma City. OICA underwrites the cost of the program, mileage reimbursement for the families for traveling to speeches and events and distribution of the books through donations.

We are very pleased to work with each of these seven ladies over this next year to help them promote their selected campaign policies. We will host them at the State Capitol to further visit with lawmakers before the legislative session concludes and also have them attend our annual Heroes Ball in July.

For more information about how you can help support the Kid Governor program or the 4-H Junior Governor program, contact us at info@oica. org or call 405-236-KIDS (5437).

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. The OICA’s mission statement is: “Creating awareness, taking action and changing policy to improve the health, safety and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.”