HARRISVILLE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Move over grown-ups—New Hampshire’s next big politician isn’t old enough to vote, but she’s already championing change.

Meet Jade Adams, a 10-year-old student at Wells Memorial School, and the state’s newly-elected 2025 Kid Governor. She’s on a mission to make the Granite State the 13th in the nation to ban animal testing.

Jade’s journey to the Kid Governor’s office began in her 5th-grade classroom, where students brainstormed platforms and campaigned on causes close to their hearts. Jade’s choice was to end animal testing—an issue she feels passionately about, armed with statistics and compassion. Her campaign video, starring Snoopy, her pet rabbit, highlighted the grim reality faced by over 100 million animals in U.S. labs each year.

In her three-minute pitch, Jade shared harrowing facts: animals are subjected to toxic substances, denied proper care, and often endure painful conditions. But her message wasn’t all doom and gloom—she ended with hope and a clear three-point plan:

  1. Encourage kids to choose cruelty-free products.
  2. Launch a letter-writing campaign to urge state lawmakers to act.
  3. Visit schools to raise awareness about animal cruelty and kindness.

Jade’s words resonated statewide. “Animals shouldn’t be stuck in cages—they should be playing outside and getting hugs,” she said.

According to Jo Ann Robichaud, coordinator of the Kid Governor program, Jade is the first Kid Governor from the Monadnock Region since New Hampshire joined the civics program in 2018. Her campaign video was one of seven finalists selected from a pool of over 1,800 5th graders at 22 schools. After a week of voting, she emerged victorious.

Jade will be sworn in at the New Hampshire State House on Jan. 28, 2025, alongside her Kid Executive Council: six other student leaders from across the state who’ll help her push for progress.

Jade’s school celebrated her win Wednesday with classmates and family.

The New Hampshire Kid Governor program, run by NH Civics and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, is part of a national initiative to engage young people in civic life.