Dear John,
The tragic losses of Representative Melissa Hortman, her husband, and Charlie Kirk have reminded us how quickly public debate can turn painful. Political violence and polarization aren’t abstractions — they’re shaping our headlines, our conversations, and our sense of what’s possible in American democracy. At Future Caucus, we believe these moments demand conviction, not cynicism. Our mission is urgent: to bring people together across differences and prove that collaboration is the strength that holds our country together. Across the country, young lawmakers are rejecting division and embracing the hard work of governing together. Even in tragedy, the next generation is pointing the way forward. |
12 Years of Impact
On Constitution Day, we marked 12 years of activating young leaders to bridge the partisan divide and transform American politics. Since 2013, more than 1,900 legislators have joined the movement to prove that collaboration works. In 2024 alone, Future Caucus members passed more than 2,000 bipartisan bills. |
Future Summit South: Future in Focus
Our second-ever Future Summit South began not in a conference room, but on the greens of Topgolf — where laughter and conversation set the tone for three days of connection, curiosity, and bold thinking. |
In Bentonville, Arkansas, lawmakers from across the South turned the city into a living classroom. At the Walmart Home Office, they explored how culture and design can shape the future of work. At Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, art became a lens for leadership, sparking reflection on how creativity and civic identity intertwine. |
Between site visits and shared meals, the heart of the summit took shape in dialogue. Lawmakers leaned into curiosity, shared lessons from their own legislation, and built trust across state and party lines. Every conversation circled back to one question: What will it mean to keep the future in focus? |
Policy in Action
Since its launch two years ago, the Innovation Lab has connected lawmakers with 200+ experts, immersive field experiences, and evidence-based research. More than a training ground, it’s where legislators sharpen skills, build trust, and return home ready to write the future into law. Over the last two months, our four Innovation Fellowship cohorts saw policy in action: exploring voting reforms in Alaska, prison reentry in Pennsylvania, renewable energy in New Mexico, and maternal health and early childhood education in Arkansas. Each trip turned big ideas into practical solutions for their states. |
At Stony Brook University, our senior leadership team, alongside New York Future Caucus Co-Chair Assemblymember Ed Ra (R-NY), joined the reopening of the Senator Jacob K. Javits collection — a bipartisan statesman who built his legacy on integrity and common ground. As stewards of the Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership, we're committed to carrying that legacy forward. |
Layla Zaidane Named to the 2025 TIME100 Next List
Future Caucus President & CEO, Layla Zaidane, was recently named to the 2025 TIME100 Next list! The TIME100 list is one of the most notable honors in American culture. It places Layla alongside change makers in politics, entertainment, sports, science, and activism. This is about more than one leader. It represents the power of a rising generation determined to move beyond toxic polarization and transform American politics.
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Future Caucus Lawmakers are Bringing Civility Back to Politics
Arkansas Future Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. Jamie Scott (D) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R), and Kansas Future Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Brandon Woodard (D) and Sen. Tory Blew (R), were recently featured in The Wall Street Journal for their work to bring civility back to politics. |
Indiana Future Caucus Statement on Political Violence
In the wake of tragedy, Indiana Future Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Beau Baird (R) and Representative Dr. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D) condemned political violence and called for civility, respect, and spirited debate without harm. |
Conversations Across the Aisle
Two brand new Lawmakers on Lawmakers conversations have dropped on YouTube featuring a bipartisan pair from different states connecting over shared experiences! |
In their conversation, Representative Tram Nguyen (D-MA) and Delegate Stuart Schmidt (R-MD) trade notes on the committees and caucuses that shape their day-to-day, reflect on their families' shared military experience, and find commonalities in the legislation they work on — from juvenile justice reform to environmental issues. Share Rep. Nguyen and Del. Schmidt’s conversation on social media! |
In our second Lawmakers on Lawmakers release, Representative Imani Barnes (D-GA) and Senator Claire Cory (R-ND) — two women from different generations, different parties, and different states, and both 19th Collective members — sit down to talk about what it’s like being young women in the legislature.
Share Rep. Barnes' and Sen. Cory's conversation on social media! |
19th Collective Members on Elected Women Across America Podcast
Representatives Vanessa Grossl (R-KY) and Dr. Jennifer Mandelbaum (D-NH) joined the National Foundation for Women Legislators’ Elected Women Across America podcast to share why they ran for office and how they're navigating the legislature as new leaders. |
"As Seen on Social Media" |
During our tour of Crystal Bridges, Senator Tiara Mack (D-RI) stumbled across a photograph of a women's rugby team. As she leaned in to admire it, she discovered she was in the photograph! What can we say? Our lawmakers are a work of art. Get the full story on her Instagram!
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Must Reads
— Despite serving in the supermajority across their state legislatures, lawmakers from Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, and West Virginia say that governing is still about listening, trust, and compromise. — In Alaska, Civic Innovation Fellows explored the Last Frontier and met with experts to learn about the states’ efforts to reform voting systems. — In the wake of increasing political violence, after the assassinations of Representative Melissa Hortman and Charlie Kirk, a pair of young lawmakers in Alabama have issued a bipartisan call for civility.
— In advance of a special session vote on a long-debated proposal to build a new prison in South Dakota, as part of a series of op-eds, Representative Kadyn Wittman (D) wrote about her experience attending the Criminal Justice Reform Innovation Fellowship’s experiential learning trip to Little Scandinavia.
— For his work during the 2025 Legislative session, South Carolina Future Caucus Co-Chair Representative Brandon Newton (R) has been named House Legislator of the Year by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. |
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Contact Us [email protected] Future Caucus
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States |
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