Floor 4 Bush profile by Felicia Xiong

     Lincoln delegate Layla Omari knew from the beginning of Girls State that she wanted to file for the coveted position of governor. Having done debate, she successfully persuaded people to vote for her and handled herself gracefully during campaign speeches.

     The camaraderie that exists on Floor Four helped to propel her campaign to utmost success. Bush citizen Miriam Call took the initiative to divide the citizens of the floor so that all of the positions would be filed for. By doing so, it became apparent that Omari was the sole delegate who was ambitious enough to run for governor from the floor.

     Once she filed for office, the floor immediately sprung into action for her campaign. Stickers and posters with the words, “Vote for Omari, you won’t be sorry,” were plastered on all of the floors. Her catchy slogan and her amiable charisma made her highly likable to all of the citizens.

     “I was super excited to see her getting the support from our floor because it takes quite a few people to win that position,” senior counselor of Floor Four Dylan Kent said.

     When primary election results were announced at assembly, the City of Bush was ecstatic to hear that Omari won the Federalist primary for governor. Despite the odds being against her and lots of convincing campaign materials and incentives from other candidates, she managed to secure the esteemed spot.

     The next step for Omari was having the gubernatorial debate with the governor candidate of the Nationalist party, Alyssa Moser. Omari prepared by researching current events and thinking about her positions on different issues. She was able to articulately answer questions from citizens and explain the platforms of the Federalist party. The citizens of Bush gave affirmation to Omari by cheering passionately after all of her speeches and answers.

     “In order to run for this position, you have to be open-minded and willing to discuss your opinions and beliefs without refrain and have a good understanding of current events,” Kent said.

     Unfortunately, for Floor Four the Nationalist Governor candidate Moser beat Omari in the general election. But this did not ruin the positive energy of the City of Bush. They continued to support Omari in her future endeavors, as she plans to continue her passion by applying for Girls Nation.

     Floor Four truly proved that there is power in numbers. When people work towards a common goal, changes can be made. Conversely, in times of disappointment the support of friends can help someone persist.

     “My favorite thing about Bush so far is how much the floor is involved in communicating and also their participation in running for state and county positions,” Kent said.