These teens have never been to Kansas. That won’t stop them from running for governor

Two 18-year-olds from the University of Delaware have joined several other teenagers in the race to become the next governor of Kansas.

Neither of the students have ever lived in Kansas. In fact, they have never even been to Kansas, The News Journal in Delaware reported.

While Nicholas Schrieber and Conner Shelton have never been to the Sunflower State, both students have filed the necessary paperwork to run for governor, according to The News Journal.

Kansas has no age or residency requirements to be governor.

“It’s not really a joke,” Schrieber, a registered Democrat, told the The Hutchinson News. “I can see how some people could construe this as a bunch of college kids from Delaware trying to screw with Kansas.”

He told the Hutch News that he would move to Kansas if elected governor.

“ ... I would likely apply to transfer to the University of Kansas to continue my studies as well,” he said.

For Shelton, running for governor as an independent is a way for him to see how running for governor works in case he chooses to run for office later in life, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

“It’s an experiment of sorts,” Shelton told the Capital-Journal.

These out-of-state teenagers running for governor comes after at least six teenagers joined the 2018 governor’s race, leading lawmakers to consider requirements that would ensure candidates are at least 18 when running for governor.

But teenagers are not the only ones looking to be Kansas’ next governor.

Only about a week after a bill that would ensure minors could no longer run for governor was passed out of a House committee, Angus the dog tried to run for governor.

The Hutch News reported that Angus P. Woolley, a 3-year-old wire-haired Vizsla, tried to enter the race to become the next governor of Kansas. His owner, Terran Woolley of Hutchinson, filed and signed the paperwork to create a candidate committee for Angus.

There are also no requirements about who can run for governor in Kansas, The Kansas City Star reported. However, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office has said it will not allow a dog to run for governor.

This story was originally published February 18, 2018 at 11:10 AM with the headline "These teens have never been to Kansas. That won’t stop them from running for governor."