Kid Governor Inauguration Slated Friday For Southington Student

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Fifth-grader Reese Naughton of Southington is slated to be officially sworn in as the 2021 Connecticut Kid Governor on Friday.

The ceremony will be virtual out of Connecticut’s Old State House. She will take the oath of office from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

The day will kick off with a formal ceremony with the national anthem performed by Connecticut’s State Troubadour, Nekita Waller.

State and federal officials, including Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. John Larson, Attorney General William Tong, Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona, State Sen. Rob Sampson, will be speaking.

After she is officially sworn in and delivers her inaugural address, Kid Governor Reese and her Cabinet will participate in a news conference, answering questions pre-submitted by fellow 5th graders.

Following the inauguration ceremony, students from around the state will participate in a virtual educational program on the three branches of state government.

Reese was elected by the state’s fifth-graders in the November 2020 Statewide Election for Connecticut’s Kid Governor. More than 6,000 students from 263 classes and 110 schools across the state participated in the Statewide Election. The six other candidates from the election will also serve in statewide leadership roles as members of Reese’s Cabinet, working together to support Reese and each other as they work toward achieving their own campaign goals.

The Cabinet will meet regularly throughout the 2021 term.

After Inauguration Day, Reese will begin a one-year term of leadership as CTKG. She will take part in public programs with The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut's Old State House, raise awareness of pandemic health, and encourage students across the state to take action on her platform.

Her Be Positive: Pandemic Perseverance platform has three goals:

• Brighten the lives of nursing home residents through positive messages.
• Create a virtual community crate and coordinate a statewide poster contest for positive messages by and for students.
• Encourage students to take care of their mental health through safe, outdoor activities.