BETHESDA, Md. (WUSA) — Did you know there’s a state where just about anybody can run for governor? It’s Kansas and if you want to campaign in the sunflower state all you must do is sign up.
There’s a student in our backyard who has already done that.
High school junior, Ilan cohen is padding his resume for college from the extracurricular to civic service.
“I am a Kansas gubernatorial candidate,” he said.
You read that right. He is running for governor of a state he’s never lived in: Kansas.
“It’s remarkably easy,” Cohen said.
Several weeks ago, this Montgomery County high school junior went to the Kansas Secretary of State website. That is where he downloaded an application.
“I entered my name, my address, and my phone number,” he explained.
As easy as that.
“I hit submit and I had filed my intent to run,” he said.
Then he put up his campaign website: Cohen for Kansas. He is officially seeing the Kansas vote.
Ilan will admit he is poking fun at the requirements to run the executive office in Kansas, but he is doing it for a reason.
“It’s also very important to be demonstrating to teens, especially now, that there are so many ways to get involved in politics,” he said.
However, just because he is registered doesn’t mean he’s on the ballot. Cohen said in order to do that, he has to get 5,000 signatures from Kansas voters.
“That’s a challenge because I don’t know that many voters from Kansas, besides a few,” he said.
“So that is something me and my team are discussing, getting those signatures.”
He is a Maryland high school junior, who would rather run the Kansas government than his student government.
