futurecaucus.org [futurecaucus.org]
Dear John,
As we head into the holiday season, we're especially grateful for the lawmakers, partners, and supporters who make the Future Caucus movement possible. Every day, young legislators across the country are proving that collaborative leadership is not only possible — it's powerful. Their creativity, courage, and commitment to solving real problems continue to move this work forward.
As we look ahead, we're excited to share a few highlights, opportunities, and updates from the Future Caucus network. Here's what we've been up to recently:
Honoring America's Rising Leaders
Last week, we had the honor of celebrating young leaders at our 8th Annual Rising Star Awards [[link removed]] , where we recognized exceptional young lawmakers who are redefining what public service can look like.
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The Rising Star Award was awarded to Senator Alexis Calatayud (R-FL) and Representative Imani Barnes (D-GA).
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The Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award was awarded to a bipartisan duo out of Alaska, Representative Justin Ruffridge (R) and Senator Löki Tobin (D).
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We're honored to have been selected as the new home of the Jacob K. Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership. In our inaugural year as stewards of the prize, we honored U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).
Our honorees' impact and optimism are reminders of why this movement matters and why we're so thankful to be in this work together.
Learn More about the 2025 Rising Star Awards [[link removed]]
Innovation Fellows Prepare for Their Capstone Project
Our two-year Innovation Fellowship experience culminates in lawmakers crafting a bipartisan, future-oriented bill in their policy focus area, built from the knowledge and experience gained over their first year.
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At our third annual Futures Thinking Forum, lawmakers from all four cohorts of the fellowship gathered in D.C. to pressure-test early policy ideas, practice future-thinking, and strengthen their skills in negotiation, budgeting, and evidence-based decision making.
Leading Out Loud
Carlisha Bradley, a leadership and public speaking coach, and Founder of Amplify For Women, joined the women of the 19th Collective for a brunch and learn centered on "Leading Out Loud."
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The experience was more than a workshop, it was a room full of women lawmakers examining the habits that shape how they show up in public life, grounding themselves in their values, and practicing the kind of storytelling that strengthens their influence.
Working for People Over Power
The short film, Working for People Over Power , highlights the work that Future Caucus, and our network of lawmakers, are doing to activate young leaders and bridge divides. At a time when polarization feels inescapable, this film tells a different story: how a generation of lawmakers is rising above partisanship to solve problems for their communities.
Working for People Over Power [[link removed]] was created by the McNulty Foundation, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, as part of the McNulty Prize honors.
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State Lawmakers Team Up to Tackle AI Policy
Artificial Intelligence is evolving rapidly. As it continues to change and become adopted by more and more individuals, regulations and protections become even more important.
That’s why we launched the National Task Force on State AI Policy [[link removed]] .
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This bipartisan team of twelve young legislators will chart a responsible path forward on AI governance — convening experts, holding hearings, and publishing an original Bipartisan State AI Policy Memo to guide state leaders across the country.
Layla Zaidane on Engaging Young People in Politics
Following the recent elections across the country, Future Caucus President & CEO, Layla Zaidane, joined Zinhle Essamuah and Kate Snow on NBC News Daily to share how Gen Z and millennial lawmakers are answering that call by working across the aisle to pass hundreds of bipartisan bills and renew faith in government.
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Meeting Lawmakers Where They're At
Our team recently visited Mississippi, meeting with young lawmakers to hear firsthand about the challenges they’re facing in their state.
We were especially glad to visit Representative Justis Gibbs (D-MS), our newest Mississippi Future Caucus Co-Chair, at his law office. Like so many young legislators, Rep. Gibbs balances a full-time career with public service — a powerful reminder of the dedication and sacrifice behind the next generation of leadership.
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Finding Common Purpose for a Better Future
Co-Chairs of the Arkansas Future Caucus, Senator Breanne Davis (R) and Senator Jamie Scott (D), participated in a panel discussion at the "We the People: Finding Common Purpose" Summit hosted by the Hillary Rodham Clinton Center for Citizenship, Leadership, and Democracy at Wellesley College.
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During the panel “ Coming Together to Fight Discrimination [[link removed]] ,” moderated by Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka, Sen. Scott discussed how as a Democrat in a Republican supermajority, she relies on bipartisan support to pass legislation, and through her collaboration with Sen. Davis, they were able to pass the C.R.O.W.N. Act in Arkansas to prevent discrimination against natural hair.
Building Stories with Staying Power
At ComNet 2025 in Denver, our Chief Strategy & Public Affairs Officer Reed Howard and Director of Communications Elizabeth Rosen were invited to lead a workshop for communications professionals from across the country on how organizations can build stories with staying power.
During the conference, Reed also delivered an inspiring keynote address, with a powerful reminder that stories live longer when they are collected with purpose.
Listen to Reed's Keynote Address [[link removed]]
From the Deep South to the Mountain West, Lawmakers Find Connection
We've released two more Lawmakers on Lawmakers conversations on YouTube and across our social media channels!
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Representative Doug Fiefia (R-UT) and Representative Jeremy Gray (D-AL) connect over their shared backgrounds in college football, and discover that teamwork, trust, and preparation translate just as well to public service as they do to the field.
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Meanwhile, Representative Justis Gibbs (D-MS) and Representative Dawson Holle (R-ND) connect over their shared challenges as being two of the youngest lawmakers in their states’ legislatures, and their beliefs that their generation is ready and capable of making impacts.
Watch our Lawmakers on Lawmakers series! [[link removed]]
"As Seen on Social Media"
Connecticut Future Caucus Co-Chair, Representative Seth Bronko (R), has started a new series on social media called “Mythbust Monday” where he shares common misconceptions people might have about lawmaking and demystifies them — check out this Mythbust Monday video on partisan legislation! [[link removed]]
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Throughout the federal government shutdown, West Virginia Future Caucus Co-Chair, Delegate Kayla Young (D), was active on social media sharing information, updates, and resources for her constituents. In this video, she explains what a government shutdown is and how one happens — focusing on the facts. [[link removed]]
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Must Reads
— At our 8th Annual Rising Star Awards, we honored four state legislators and two members of Congress who are each encouraging disagreement the right way. [[link removed]]
— Criminal Justice Innovation Fellows visited Little Scandinavia, a prison unit in Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution-Chester. Modeled after prison systems in Scandinavia, Fellows explored spaces where residents live in single-person cells with a shared kitchen and outdoor green space. [[link removed]]
— In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Energy & Environment Innovation Fellows explored the states’ natural resources and were educated on how watersheds are being used to build resilience against drought and wildfires. [[link removed]]
— For Prenatal-to-Three Fellows and Southern Lawmakers, Bentonville, Arkansas was an opportunity to share ideas and collect new strategies to bring back to their home state. [[link removed]]
— The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, one of our generous supporters, recently highlighted Future Caucus in a new story about how young lawmakers are leading bipartisan solutions across the country. [[link removed]]
Read the Young Lawmakers' Storybank [[link removed]]
We can't do this work without you. Support young lawmakers in their efforts to bridge the partisan divide and donate today! [[link removed]]
Donate [[link removed]]
Contact Us
[email protected]
Future Caucus
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States
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