Ohio State Senator Frank LaRose, Connecticut State Representative Caroline Simmons Win First Millennial Action Project Rising Star Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             

September 20, 2018 

Contact: Julia Schechter, (917) 282-2754

 

Award recognizes legislators’ leadership, commitment to bipartisanship 

WASHINGTON –  Today, Millennial Action Project (MAP) announced that State Senator Frank LaRose (R-OH) and State Representative Caroline Simmons (D-CT) are the recipients of the organization’s first Rising Star Award. The award recognizes their outstanding leadership in enacting bipartisan legislation at the state-level, as well as their ongoing commitment to working with their colleagues across the aisle. 

“Senator LaRose and Representative Simmons are two of the most talented young legislators working in government today, and could not be more deserving of our inaugural Rising Star Award,” said Steven Olikara, Founder and President of Millennial Action Project. “Both are trailblazers who have shown they will prioritize progress over party, and are shining examples of what our generation can accomplish in elected office.” 

Both Sen. LaRose and Rep. Simmons are members of MAP’s bipartisan Democracy Reform Task Force, a group of state representatives from across the country collaborating to advance legislation on redistricting, government accountability and access to voting.

Sen. LaRose is also the co-chair of MAP’s Ohio Future Caucus, a group of legislators under the age of 45. The Ohio Future Caucus is one of 26 states in MAP’s State Future Caucus Network, a nation-wide movement where millennial legislators in state houses across the country are seeking to find common ground in an era of hyper partisanship.

“American Revolution, Reconstruction, Great Depression, World Wars, Moonshot, the Civil Rights Movement; each generation of Americans throughout history has had a mission, a challenge to overcome in our ongoing quest to form a more perfect union. I feel that our generation will face down the pervasive incivility, tribalism and gridlock that has defined American politics of late. As the generation currently picking up the mantle of leadership, we will make American civics function again!”said Senator LaRose. “I’m proud to partner with Millennial Action Project as we work to promote bipartisan dialogue and foster a sense of service above politics. MAP is making a difference throughout the nation and I’m so humbled to be recognized with their first Rising Star Award.”

“I am honored to receive this award and want to thank the Millennial Action Project for the outstanding work they are doing to build bipartisan cooperation and pragmatic and collaborative policy making across the country,” said Representative Simmons. “I believe strongly in bipartisanship and that instead of attacking each other, we need to attack the problems facing our country. I am humbled to be a part of this network and congratulate all of my Millennial Action Project colleagues who are working hard in various states to advance bipartisan legislation to address our challenges and make our political system more fair, just, and effective.” 

Millennials are poised to transform the face of government and of the electorate this cycle. Since the 2016 election, the number of Millennials running for public office has surged, including local offices where a record number of millennials have filed to run. With public polling showing that 60 percent of young people intend to vote in this year’s election, up from 50 percent in 2016, millennials could be the decisive demographic in November. MAP estimates that to date, 224 millennials have completed Congressional primaries, and 98 have won.

Media contact: Julia Schechter, (917) 282-2754 or [email protected]

The Millennial Action Project (MAP) is a national, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to activating young policymakers to bridge the partisan divide and lead a new era of collaborative governance. In 2013, MAP organized America’s first-ever bipartisan caucus for young members of Congress, the Congressional Future Caucus. Shaping the next generation of leadership, MAP’s Future Caucus Network has expanded into 26 state legislatures and grown into the largest nonpartisan organization of millennial elected officials in the U.S. More info available at: futurecaucus.org.

 

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