There was a point during Saturday’s American Legion Boys Nation election for president pro tempore of this year’s senate that Georgia senatorDominic Mimbang thought he saw the writing on the wall.
Boys Nation is an American Legion program that follows Boys State. At Boys State, two delegates from each program are selected for Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., where they serve as U.S. Senators for a week of mock sessions, party conventions, and visits to national landmarks. Mimbang, a Georgia attendee, decided to throw his hat in the ring for president pro tempore of the 2025 Boys Nation Senate.
The senior at Coffee High School in Douglas, Mimbang was in danger of falling out of the race during one of the earlier votes, when he tied for the fewest votes. But because there was a tie, he was allowed to stay in the race. And that’s when he began to pick up momentum.
Over each additional vote, Mimbang picked up more and more votes to advance to the final showdown between he and Gabriel Rhodes of New York. And when the last tally came in, Mimbang won by a decisive 59-41.
“I kept on making the final cut by just a couple of votes. And there was a time … I thought, ‘Maybe it’s over here.’ But that did not stop me, and I didn’t give up. I kept on telling the other senators what my missions were and what I wanted to accomplish with this role. I’m so glad I was able to push myself in this way.”
While campaigning, Mimbang pledged to treat every senator fairly, to listen to what they say and to do everything in his power to ensure their proposed legislation would come to a vote.
That remains his top priority. “I want to make sure I work with every senator in helping them engage with confidence within their bills,” he said. “I want to work with the Assignment and Calendar Committee to make sure we’re able to get as many bills debated on the senate floor as possible. And hopefully make this one of the best Boys Nation senate sessions Boys Nation has ever seen.”
As president pro tempore, Mimbang will be tasked with managing the Senate’s proceedings, setting the agenda, and ensuring a smooth operation.
“Going into Boys Nation, I knew I wanted to take a challenge for myself, not only looking at the skills I have, but also just the fact that I’m a dreamer,” he said. “Whenever I see an opportunity to challenge myself, a possibility to further myself in a new situation, I want to take it.
“I fell in love with the position of president pro tem. You’re engaging with parliamentary procedure, and it’s a really non-partisan position with the Boys Nation Senate.”
Story courtesy of www.legion.org