Teen governor? Kansas youths take on adults in central US state With loose khaki pants, a button-down shirt and a dark blue blazer, Tyler Ruzich looks a lot like any number of aspiring politicians before him. But if the election Ruzich is running in were to be held today, he'd be too young to vote for himself. The 17-year-old is one of five teens throwing their hats in the crowded ring for next year's governor's race in Kansas, which has permissive rules about who can run for the state's top elected post.