Every U.S. state has a governor — that’s an adult that leads the state. Some states have a kid governor too. Liv Crete-Sayer was elected to take on that role for New Hampshire in 2026!
Liv was in her social studies class when she first learned about the Kid Governor program. The program lets fifth-grade students select a kid to lead their state! Liv told News-O-Matic how the process started at her school, Boscawen Elementary School, in Boscawen, New Hampshire. “We had to come up with a speech at our school to become our ,” she explained.
Other schools in the state chose possible leaders too, and then officials from the Kid Governor program picked the top seven . Next, 3,600 students all across New Hampshire voted. They picked Liv and her platform: educating New Hampshire kids about the dangers of smoking, vaping, and doing drugs. Those are in which people put harmful substances into their bodies.
Smoking, vaping, and drug use can hurt you, and Liv wanted kids to learn about these risks. She said, “I wanted to be kid governor so I could help kids have longer and healthier lives.” Liv added, “They can explore more and try to be a leader of their community too.”
Liv created three steps to implement her platform. First, she wants to team up with police officers, doctors, and dentists to present at New Hampshire schools. These experts can tell students about the permanent health issues that can come from smoking, vaping, and drug use.
The second step for Liv’s platform is to create a course for fifth graders called Drug Free Students. Liv plans to travel to fifth-grade classrooms around New Hampshire and make videos to share online about the facts and effects of smoking, vaping, and doing drugs. If students complete her course, she said, “they'll get a blue ribbon saying that they passed.”
Last, Liv plans to share posters, activities, and lessons about the dangers of smoking, vaping, and drug use. They will include Liv’s motto: “Live Healthy with Liv.”
Liv will work together with other fifth graders. The other kid governor candidates now make up a team called her executive council. They are Chase, Lauren, Prudence, Mac, Phia, and Ben.
The young leaders started work following their on January 27 at the New Hampshire State House in Concord, New Hampshire. Liv met New Hampshire’s governor, Kelly Ayotte, and a member of Ayotte’s executive council, Karen Liot Hill. Lawmakers Sherm Packard and Sharon Carson as well as Secretary of State David Scanlan and New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald attended too.
Although Liv will be teaching students during her time as kid governor, she said she also wants “to learn more” about her platform. “I know a good amount,” she said, “but I would like to know more.”
Liv shared advice for how young people can stay safe from smoking, vaping, and drugs. “It’s not good,” she said. “Never try it — don’t give in to peer pressure.” Kids can help themselves and others. Liv added, “Kids care about kids.”
By Hannah Marcum
Updated March 16, 2026, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
