Newly-formed caucus will support millennial, Gen Z lawmakers in South Carolina

By Sophie Beams | WCBD News 2

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — A pair of state lawmakers have formed a new bipartisan group in South Carolina to help the next generation learn how to navigate the legislature and work across the aisle. 

State Sen. Deon Tedder, 34, and State Rep. Brandon Newton, 30, officially launched the Future Caucus on Wednesday, joining a nationwide network of leaders 45 years old and younger who are working to bridge the political divide. 

Tedder, a Charleston Democrat, said he first got involved with the group during his freshman term as a state representative. But before he could bring it to the Palmetto State, he needed to find a Republican colleague willing to join the effort.

“I was the minority whip in the House, [Newton] was the majority whip in the House, so we would often whip votes against each other for partisan issues, but we became close friends, started to have conversations, and really agreed on a lot,” Tedder said. 

“We believe it’s a good effort to launch this caucus here to provide that bipartisan support, across the aisle, for our younger state legislators,” he continued. 

Newton, a Lancaster Republican, said the caucus will focus on issues that matter most to millennials and Gen Z voters like housing and modernizing state laws to adapt to rapidly evolving technology.

An exact legislative agenda has not been set as leaders say they are waiting for input from their members. 

“We’re really going to let our members, whenever we get an official count, drive that,” Netwon said. 

Regardless, Newton said the group plans to only push bills agreed to by a majority of members in both parties so as to not “lose the spirit” of bipartisanship. 

The Future Caucus was originally founded in 2013 as the Millenial Action Project by a group of college students. It rebranded in 2023 and has expanded to serve over 1,900 young legislators in 35 states and Congress.

By joining, members gain access to networking opportunities, leadership training, policy workshops, and other support mechanisms that are tailored to each state’s individual needs. 

“At the end of the day, we’re really looking to Senator Tedder and Representative Newton to design an experience for themselves and for other young lawmakers that makes sense here,” said President and CEO Layla Zaidane.

One of the caucus’ goals, according to Zaidane is to ensure that political polarization does not slow the legislative process. 

“Our mission is really the same as most of the American people which is to see our institutions function properly,” she said. “I think we’re all exhausted by polarization, by problems not getting solved and by people being performative and not actually backing up their talk with action.”

“We believe the next generation can’t sit around and complain about that, we have to do something about it,” Zaidane added. 

A Future Caucus report released ahead of the 2024 general election found that one in four congressional candidates belonged to the two youngest generations. 

Still, candidates over the age of 45 outnumber younger candidates by two-to-one, with the average age in the House and Senate at 57.9 and 65.3, respectively. 

The same is true in many states, including South Carolina, where lawmakers under 45 comprise about 20% of the General Assembly.

At the time they were elected, Tedder and Newton were the youngest lawmakers in their respective chambers. That is no longer the case. 

“Now we have people who have come behind us who we hope will join this caucus, and so it’s exciting to see more young people run for office,” Tedder said. 

South Carolina is now the 35th state with a Future Caucus chapter.