North Haven Student Elected As Connecticut’s Kid Governor

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A North Haven elementary school student has been elected as the state’s 2026 Kid Governor.

WTNH’s Dennis House and Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas announced Thursday that Theresa “Tessa” Hallinan was elected by Connecticut’s fifth graders to serve as the next Kid Governor.

Hallinan is a fifth-grade student at Green Acres Elementary School in North Haven. She ran on a platform that featured Inclusion for Students with Disabilities as her community issue.

“I chose inclusion for kids with disabilities as my community issue because I have many relatives who have disabilities,” Hallinan wrote in her platform on the Kid Governor’s website. “My cousin has dyslexia, my step-cousin is teased because he is a cancer survivor and has to wear bags around his waist, and my step-cousin has autism.”

Her three-point platform includes:

1. Sharing videos about including, accepting, and understanding kids with disabilities for classes to watch together.

2. Inviting schools to start buddy systems that pair fifth grade leaders with kids with disabilities.

3. Encouraging schools to designate a “Buddy Lunch Table” in the cafeteria where students can sit if they feel left out or need a friend.

Watch the announcement of Hallinan as Kid Governor at Green Acres Elementary School below:

See the announcement by WTNH’s Dennis House and Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas below:

For more information about Connecticut’s Kid Governor, visit here.