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.

Floor 3 Reagan profile by Kylee McLean

No floor throughout Sandoz Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln compares to the city of Reagan. Though shy and quiet at first, the ladies on floor three packed the dorm rooms full of energy, kindness and joy throughout the week-long event.

As a member of the Reagan floor, I could tell the first day at Girls State was definitely a learning and growing one for the young women. Some came from small towns in the middle of nowhere and others came from cities as large as Lincoln and Omaha. The floor and room assignments brought these people from all walks of life together and it did not take long for each of them to get to know one another. After a little inspiration from the floor counselors, each Girls Stater knew the Reagan floor was the best; however, it did take them some time to come up with some cheers.

Emily Sandell, Mayor of the city of Reagan, praises the floor for their energy and ability to come together.

“I come from a pretty small city myself and I thought I was [from] a really small school until I came here,” Sandell explains. “I learned that there is somebody with six people in their class and I just find that really interesting.”

Sandell also notes that the city of Reagan especially enjoyed the whistle stop campaigns.

“The whole Reagan floor shows energy and cheers for every single candidate and I just love that,” she said.

The ladies look a step out of their comfort zone right away with filing for city, county and state offices. Soon, colorful posters, stickers and signs filled the hallways and each one displayed just how bright and thoughtful the Reagan ladies are. Though some did compete for certain positions, the girls were nothing but supportive for each other as the election results came in.

Whether they were throwing a party with their roommates or debating issues facing the city of Reagan, the girls on floor three excelled in everything at Girls State. Many found themselves winning city, county and state elections; others found themselves making new friends and learning about other areas of Nebraska besides where they are from.

Throughout the week, the Reagan ladies used their different personalities and backgrounds to their advantage. They may have been shy, but they were certainly mighty. Through the many activities and opportunities at Girls State, many friends and memories were made on floor three. I am confident that each Reagan alum will remember the Girls State experience, as well as the people they met, for the rest of their lives.

Floor 2 Carter profile by Greta Vering

The Harry Potter themed floor two of Carter was easily known as the most fun floor in the building. They even had the fiesta room with nachos, speakers and party hats. Each one of the girls on the floor inspired one another to try new things and taught each other what it is like where they are from. The City of Carter is filled with competitive, talented and amazing girls that are looking for opportunities and future success.

There are many fun facts about Carter that should be known. Floor two has three counselors in the city of Carter. The senior counselor is Carol Nienhueser, the middle is Sable Campa and the Junior is Cecelia King. Carter is Harry Potter themed. King had the idea for the delegates to take a simple online quiz to tell what house they would be in as if we were in the actual story. This was a great idea for the delegates to get to know each other. Carter’s chant was easy to learn. The delegates would yell, “Who’s got it going on? Carter’s got it going on!” By the time the chant was over, the delegates would be screaming so crazily, it was almost hard to understand!  Many of the citizens broke out of their shells to be loud because the loudest floor would be picked to go eat lunch first.

Getting to know one another was easy as none of the delegates were shy. Junior counselor  King had the idea of going around the room and saying something about each other. It was an easy way to learn names. Campaigning was the best way to get the delegates to open up. It forced them to say something about themselves. The goal was to be remembered so that they would get votes. This helped the delegates that were interested in making friends.

During campaigning, the citizens of Carter came up with catchy slogans so that when their friends were voting, they were able to remember names. Some examples are, “Don’t be wack, vote for Kaia Mc,” and, “If you don’t want dilemmas, vote for Emma!” The delegates wrote their slogans on the marker boards hanging on the dorm room doors. They also made posters to hang up on the walls. When given free time to campaign, the candidates went door to door handing out candy and telling their fellow citizens about themselves. Campaigning was one of the most exciting times of Girls State.

The next morning, the delegates voted on city offices. Scribner resident Greta Vering was elected as the Mayor of Carter. Vering’s slogan was, “Vote Greta Vering to pull our community together.” She then handed out hair ties to her fellow citizens. Emily Gilbert, Sidney Horne, Avery Kalvoda, Emily Knote and Kaia McIntire were voted to be City Council members. Their job was to talk with the mayor to pass the motion. The City School Board Members were Katie Colson, Quintessense Indra, Emily Otten and Carly Preister. The elected Senators were Jadyn Brooks, Olivia Fredrick, Gracie Killgore, Avery Mitchell, Emma Nelson and Emily Walsh.  Each of the girls worked hard to earn her spot.

Some of the girls that decided not to run for city council tried to run for state council. There were three girls from floor two that ran for governor. Cheylee Tonniges, a student at Centennial, was one of the three that rose up to the challenge. Tonniges stated, “I strive to empower the young women of Girls State to make a greater change and be an inspiration and a voice to those who don’t have one, and speak on behalf of girls state as a whole.” Taylor Ruwe of Logan View also ran. “I want to be Governor to bring a ton of energy and to help people realize that we can all have our own voice together,” said Ruwe. Juliana Angel, a student from Omaha Duchesne, was the final delegate from Carter that ran for governor. Angel stated, “I would like to be Governor because I believe that I could be a very transparent leader who values communication.” She also speaks fluent Spanish.  None of the girls won the position, but they each had an amazing experience, met new people, and learned a lot along the way.

Floor two, the City of Carter, definitely made their mark on Girls State 2019. Carter had the loudest cheers, the best theme and the most fun  counselors. The delegates from this floor were caring, passionate, empowered and strong women that all have a bright future. They will all go great places.

2018 County Primary Results- Mazur County

Mazur County went to the polls to decide who would represent them in the General Elections. Congrats and good luck to all the candidates!

MAZUR COUNTY          

NONPARTISAN

• ST BOARD OF ED
• Anna Brockhaus
• Dusty Butler
• Gracie Dawson
• Emma Goosic
• Colette Olson
• Hannah Smith

NONPARTISAN

• BOARD OF REGENTS
• Madigan Brodsky
• Shaylin Daugherty
• Brianna Gable
• Madison Witulski

NONPARTISAN

• PUBLIC DEFENDER
• Kenzie Barnes
• Olivia Taylor         

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY TREASURER
• Abby Badura

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY TREASURER
• Elle Schmaderer

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY SHERIFF
• Julia Wilkinson

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY SHERIFF
• Kendall Scott

FEDERAL PARTY

• REGISTER OF DEEDS
• Taylor Swertzic

NATIONAL PARTY

• REGISTER OF DEEDS
• Erica Bogert

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY ENGINEER
• Luryn Hendrickson

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY ENGINEER
• Bailee Lake

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY COMMISSIONER
• Allanah Beller
• KaLee Fanning
• Emma Walling

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY COMMISSIONER
• Marina Fessler
• Haley Jones
• Ragan Wood

FEDERAL PARTY

• CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
• Paige Moore

NATIONAL PARTY

• CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
• Savanna Denton

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY CLERK
• Morgan Eickmeier

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY CLERK
• Ruth Dodge

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY ATTORNEY
• Olivia Sis

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY ATTORNEY
• Krystal Meyers

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY ASSESSOR
• Hannah Middleton

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY ASSESSOR
• Saylor Pershing

2018 County Primary Results- Duscheck County

Below are the winners of the Primary for county positions in Duscheck County. Congrats and good luck to all the winners.

DUSCHECK COUNTY

NONPARTISAN

• ST BOARD OF ED
• Brynn Hamer
• Andi Kort
• Ruth Mathson
• Ashlyn Sutherland
• Abigail Waldo
• Annie Wawrzynkiewicz

NONPARTISAN

• BOARD OF REGENTS
• Sydney Badura
• Meredith Clark
• Madison Hickok
• Kaylen Maltais
• Hannah Unger
• Addison Wanser

NONPARTISAN

• PUBLIC DEFENDER
• Jaela Hardin
• Tristan Larson         

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY TREASURER
• Destiny Fox

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY TREASURER
• Jenna Nekl

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY SHERIFF
• Brooke Bruland

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY SHERIFF
• Sarah Babe

FEDERAL PARTY

• REGISTER OF DEEDS
• Rylee Kohmetscher

NATIONAL PARTY

• REGISTER OF DEEDS
• Kristen Wetovick

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY ENGINEER
• Savannah Walvoord

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY ENGINEER
• Wryleigh Doyle

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY COMMISSIONER
• Anna Albrecht
• Kara Kudera
• Emma Niemeie

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY COMMISSIONER
• Kiley Kahler
• Megan Miller
• Hailey Snyder

FEDERAL PARTY

• CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
• Emily Hatterman

NATIONAL PARTY

• CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
• Abigail Hyer

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY CLERK
• Halle Konz

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY CLERK
• Mackinzie Cole

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY ATTORNEY
• Maya Baker

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY ATTORNEY
• Mariah Van Leer

FEDERAL PARTY

• COUNTY ASSESSOR
• Ryley Nolin

NATIONAL PARTY

• COUNTY ASSESSOR
• Hannah Armstrong

2018 State Primary results

Citizens filed for State offices and voting happened on Tuesday morning. Here are the results for the State primaries. The General Elections will happen on Wednesday. Congratulations and good luck to everyone in the General Elections!

FEDERAL PARTY

• PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER
• Savanah Ellis
• Bridget Praest
• Ashley Uhing
• Jenifer Velazquez-Perfecto

NATIONAL PARTY

• PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER
• Sarah Altman
• Jamie Fuqua
• Emma Krab
• Mary Newman
• Caroline Webster

FEDERAL PARTY

• STATE AUDITOR
• Emma Peters

NATIONAL PARTY

• STATE AUDITOR
• Adi Friesen

FEDERAL PARTY

• STATE TREASURER
• Maddy Vasquez

NATIONAL PARTY

• STATE TREASURER
• Taylor Ference

FEDERAL PARTY

• SECRETARY OF STATE
• Abigail Staehr

NATIONAL PARTY

• SECRETARY OF STATE
• Lily Blake

FEDERAL PARTY

• STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL
• Moriah Aberle

NATIONAL PARTY

• STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL
• Hayley Weeder

FEDERAL PARTY

• LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
• Emma Hoffschneider

NATIONAL PARTY

• LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
• Daisha Hoffman

FEDERAL PARTY

• GOVERNOR
• Suzie Cho

NATIONAL PARTY

• GOVERNOR
• MacKenzie Anderson

2018 City Election results

Girls State citizens filed for city offices on Sunday and voted for those offices in their towns on Monday. Below are the results for each town. Congratulations to all the winners!

Floor 2--City of Hoover

• Mayor
• Jesica Schaefer
• City Council
• Brianna Connelly
• Laura Eickmeier
• Peyton McQuay
• Julia Shipman
• Grace Steinmeyer
• School Board
• Alaina Farnik
• Ana Flores
• Zoey Hurst
• Mackenzie Smith
• Senator
• Emily Baier
• Kelsey Brady
• Emily Gress
• M. Sophia Olson
• Lexy Schulte
• Emily Zimmer

Floor 3--City of Roosevelt

• Mayor
• Amber Miller
• City Council
• Angel Cook
• Colby Grossart
• Carley Hofmeister
• Maia Johnson
• Kyauna Kring
• School Board
• Emily Ady
• Jewel Ashbrook
• Kaylea Bailey
• Kensi Blau
• Senator
• Cayley Carpenter
• Baylee Diefenbaugh
• Jayla Froman
• Kaylee Martinsen
• Taylor Mues
• Shaylee Niemeyer

Floor 4--City of Truman

• Mayor
• Kathryn Kudrna
• City Council
• Mariah Draper
• Brittany Ellison
• Katie Goodwater
• Hannah Thies
• Kayla Wingert
• School Board
• Joey Caruso
• Samantha Janda
• Brittney Richardson
• Lauren Seier
• Senator
• Sydney Atkinson
• Sophie Brandt
• Lauren Ferguson
• Alexandra Saathoff
• Hannah Van Heek
• April Wagner

Floor 5--Eisenhower

• Mayor
• Grace Sinsel
• City Council
• Kaylee Bell
• Macy Due
• Reata Elting
• Reann Ferguson
• Ashley Holmberg
• School Board
• Olivia Casper
• Madison Freese
• Tia Hanna
• Ashley Parde
• Senator
• Dorian Bobbett
• Holly Kuhr
• Kiaya Radke
• Aryn Seiler
• Samantha Wiles
• Malayna Wingert

Floor 6--City of Kennedy

• Mayor
• Tiffany Peason
• City Council
• Concey Bader
• Chanel Ehlers
• Mackenzie Kovar
• Grace Messenger
• Sara Most
• School Board
• Payton Bledsaw
• Abbigail Holz
• Brittani Platt
• Hannah Stahl
• Senator
• Brooklynn Burrell
• Kimberly Frey
• Sophia Harder
• Kloee Sander
• Leah Schmidt
• Melissa Sextro

Floor 7--City of Johnson

• Mayor
• Rachel Rawlings
• City Council
• Katheryn Colina
• Berklie Haag
• Kathleen Juhl
• Jaycee Wallace
• Maci Witte
• School Board
• Trinity Olivia Hawke
• Anne Laferla
• Kaitlyn Pflaster
• Jocelyn Pohl
• Senator
• Alexis Delos Reyes
• Sophia Fahleson
• Jacey Hilkemann
• Savana Jeffrey
• Maggie Keslar
• Grace Skavdahl

Floor 8--City of Nixon

• Mayor
• Olivia Diedrichsen
• City Council
• Kenzie Jennings
• Cheyney Loper
• Hannah Mullally
• Nancy Skutchan
• Peyton Underwood
• School Board
• Brianna Barton
• Brooke Benson
• Brooke Haase
• Erica Hopping
• Senator
• Taylor Cammack
• Elizabeth Christensen
• Elizabeth Jurich
• Katie Miles
• Allie Shambaugh-Miller
• Micaiah Vrbka

Floor 9--City of Ford

• Mayor
• Anna Fisher
• City Council
• Madeline Mallgrave
• Kelly Nguyen
• Emma Schrotberger
• Lizzy Walton
• Paige Wood
• School Board
• Katie Bathke
• Nicole Dewey
• Brienne Fanta
• Ashley Peters
• Senator
• Taylor Arensberg
• Jacy Hafer
• Regaen Hueftle
• Lesley Lam
• Peyton Taylor
• Madison Wells
• Addison Johnson