A rally and a second chance in the first elections at Boys Nation 2023

The vote for the president pro tempore of American Legion Boys Nation 2023 had come down to the final two candidates: Louisiana’s Braylin Broussard and North Carolina’s Tucker Coombs.

Broussard was third in voting after Saturday’s first ballot behind Coombs and Wyoming’s Caleb Greenlee. Slowly but surely, Broussard picked up votes as the initial field of 15 candidates was winnowed down. And when it came down to those three candidates, Broussard gained 20 votes from the previous ballot to pass Greenlee and eliminate the Wyoming senator.

That set up a vote between Broussard and Coombs. When the results were posted, the senators erupted: 50 votes for Broussard, 50 votes for Coombs.

One final caucus. One more vote.

Coombs crossed the Senate floor—the gym at Marymount University in Arlington, Va.—and threw an arm around Broussard’s shoulders as the final vote was tallied.

Fifty-three votes for Broussard, 47 for Coombs.

“I’m really just in shock,” Broussard reflected after the election. “Flipping the tie, that was insane.”

Broussard credited Coombs in the aftermath.

“I think a mutual respect was shared. We already had it established, but it was reinforced. We both said any candidate would have been great for this position. Am I grateful that it was me? Of course. But me and Senator Coombs, I can tell we’re going to have a great friendship,” Broussard said.

As president pro tempore, Broussard will oversee the Boys Nation senate through Tuesday night’s presidential election. He said he plans to take it “day-by-day.”

“I’m grateful for it all,” he said.

A second chance. Several candidates in Saturday’s nonpartisan election who failed in their bid for president pro tempore were back at it immediately afterwards, entering the race for secretary of the Senate.

Among them was Hoyoon Song of Idaho, who outlasted nine other candidates to win the night’s second race.

“I knew we picked the right guy, but I was a little sad because I tried to get the position,” Song said of Broussard’s win for president pro tempore. “I was having doubts whether I should (run for secretary). I was having doubts all the way but I’m glad I was able to put my hat in the ring.”

During the campaign speeches for president pro tempore, Song took a cue from the speaker ahead of him, Kansas’ Adiel Garcia, on how to get the voters’ attention.

“(He) did rock-paper-scissors before me, and I’m like, ‘That’s a creative way to engage the audience,’” said Song, who asked the audience to clap once if they could hear him. When they did, he called that a reflection of his leadership skills.

So when he returned to the stage for his campaign speech for secretary, he asked the audience to clap twice if they could hear him. The positive response showed how his leadership had grown, he joked.

But it worked.

“Congratulations, Senators.” Dr. David Bobb, president of the Bill of Rights Institute, administered the oath of office to the Boys Nation senators Saturday morning.

“The oath that you’ll take is a serious one. The job that you have in front of you is a serious one,” Bobb said.

Bobb also discussed James Madison and his role in helping shape the United States as “father of the Constitution.”

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO OF THE SWEARING IN

Follow the happenings at American Legion Boys Nation at legion.org/boysnation, on YouTube at americanlegionHQ, and on social media on Twitter (@ALBoysNation) and Instagram (@theamericanlegion) with the hashtag #BoysNation2023.