The Kid Who Ran for President

Lane Brainard is one of Judson’s closest friends and campaign. The boys foil one another—where Judson is a joker whose best quality is his every-kid appearance, Lane is the brains (hence Brainard) of their team. Lane organizes the campaign with adult-like proficiency, and Judson notes that watching Lane handle the campaign details is like “watching a master potter mold a vase out of clay” (81).

In Chapter 1, Lane explains his history with losing King of the Hill and why he wants Judson to run for president. Though Lane is the driving force behind Judson’s campaign, he never shows interest in running himself. He claims this is because he is too smart and intimidating, things Americans don’t want in their president, and Judson is a better match for the public interest. It may also be that Lane lost King of the Hill so much when he was young that he is unwilling to run for president and risking losing. 

June Syers is an elderly African American woman who babysat Judson when he was younger. June runs as Judson’s vice president, and together, they represent the idea that anyone can do or be anything they want, an idea bolstered when they win the election in Chapter 26. June uses a wheelchair because of her Parkinson’s disease. The disease also sometimes makes her difficult to understand, but Judson finds “it’s worth the effort to try and figure it out” (9). As June offers nuggets of wisdom and the only actual adult perspective in the book, Judson’s observation holds true because June says many things worth hearing.

Arthur Krantz is a student at Judson’s school. Judson and his friends have labeled Arthur a “geek” because he wears a tie to school and likes homework. Judson observes that “if anybody looked like he was running for president, it was Arthur Krantz” (14), foreshadowing Arthur’s involvement in Judson’s campaign. Arthur is one of many challenges Judson faces, and he represents how a candidate’s greatest opposition is themself. Arthur knows far more about the political system than Judson, something Judson regrets in later chapters when he feels over his head. Arthur also leaks information about Judson’s practical joker past to the press, almost destroying Judson’s campaign. While Arthur instigates the actions and emotions, the battle is really Judson against himself. Arthur is simply a catalyst for Judson’s difficulties.

Chelsea Daniels is Judson’s First Babe/Lady. She is tall and thin with blonde hair and blue eyes, described as “one of those twelve-year-old girls who looks like she’s about eighteen in the magazine ads” (37). Like Judson, her looks play a crucial role in the campaign. She is selected as First Lady because she offers a good image for Judson. Later, she takes up silkworms as her personal cause, which gets her media time where she promotes Judson. Her looks and outgoing personality make her an excellent addition to Judson’s team in terms of promotion and the public eye.

Abby Goldstein is a friend of Judson’s whom he often doesn’t see because he spends most of his free time with Lane. Judson passes over Abby for First Lady because Lane says she doesn’t offer the right image. Judson’s shift in his thoughts about Abby shows his character growth. Early on, he agrees to have Chelsea as First Lady because he believes Lane knows best. At the end of the book, Judson makes an active effort to bring Abby back into his life, showing that he no longer cares about his image.

Pete Guerra is a reporter with the Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, where Judson lives. Guerra is the first reporter to break Judson’s story, and he offers Judson advice about not trusting the press. Later, Guerra breaks the Moongate scandal, including how Judson changed his parakeet’s name. Guerra’s eagerness to share such details shows the lengths a reporter will go to get a scoop and the unimportant topics that constitute news during a major event like the presidential election.