A close race on Saturday night came down to a second vote to break a deadlock, as Sahil Inaganti of Allentown, Pa., was elected president pro tempore by the Boys Nation Senate.

Inaganti, 17, a senior at Parkland High School, edged Andrew Furman of Wilmington, Del., by one vote after the two each received 49 votes on the ninth ballot. Inaganti emerged victorious from a field of 14 candidates for the office.

Inaganti previously served as president pro tempore at Keystone Boys State and said he was eager to assume a leadership role at Boys Nation.

"At Keystone Boys State, I was elected president pro tem, and I enjoyed that quite a bit, because I was able to interact with people more than if I had been elected governor or if I had been elected to the judiciary, so being able to interact with a larger portion of the people present, that was one of the most important things coming into this," Inaganti said.

As president pro tempore, Inaganti's responsibilities include presiding as head of the Boys Nation Senate in the absence of the vice president, appointing a chief clerk of the senate, senate parliamentarian, senate chaplain and a sergeant-at-arms of the senate.

He should also be thoroughly familiar with the Standing Rules for Conducting Business in the Senate of Boys Nation.

Each American Legion Boys Nation delegate represents his home state as a "senator". The "senators" caucus at the beginning of the session, organize into committees and conduct hearings on bills, allowing delegates to learn the proper legislative procedures according to the U.S. Senate.

American Legion Boys Nation provides aspiring young men with the opportunity to learn about the federal government while participating in a hands-on experience with the electoral process. The American Legion Auxiliary operates ALA Girls State and Nation.