Young Members of Iowa Legislature Form Bipartisan Caucus to Address Issues Most Important to Millennials

Iowa Future Caucus to be led by Senators Zach Nunn and Zach Wahls and Representatives Lindsay James and Joe Mitchell

(Des Moines, IA) Today, Senators Zach Nunn (R-15) and Zach Wahls (D-37) and Representatives Lindsay James (D-99) and Joe Mitchell (R-84) announced the creation of the Iowa Future Caucus, a brand-new caucus comprised of legislators age 40 and under. The announcement is part of a nation-wide movement in state houses across the country where Millennial legislators are seeking to find common ground in an era of hyper-partisanship. With the launch, Iowa becomes the 28th state to join Millennial Action Project’s national State Future Caucus Network.

The caucus will focus on issues that Millennials care about. Iowa’s Future Caucus will be part of the Millennial Action Project’s national effort to support young elected officials as they work to break through partisan gridlock and reestablish political cooperation.

“When young legislators put party lines aside and come together to create bipartisan solutions to major issues, the possibilities are endless. It is amazing to see the State Future Caucus Network continue to grow across the nation,” said Steven Olikara, Founder and President of Millennial Action Project. “Thank you to Senators Nunn and Wahls and Representatives Mitchell and James for leading this movement in Iowa.”  

While there has been a great deal of attention directed at dysfunction and gridlock in government, there is a counter-movement underway–led by Millennials–that seeks to disrupt the status quo in government. Millennial Action Project hopes that as additional younger state legislators course a path of bipartisanship and cooperation, they will be able to bring this perspective to Washington. Currently, 15 Millennial members of Congress began their legislative careers in state houses.

Sen. Zach Nunn stated, “I’m honored to serve as co-chair of the Iowa Future Caucus. As we look toward the future, we need to ensure an ongoing bipartisan dialogue to better address the issues facing young Iowans, generational Iowans, and the future of Iowa. The range of collaborative issues from quality of life, first-time homeownership, broadband expansion, educational investment, and career readiness ensures Iowa is delivering world-class opportunities for every community in the Hawkeye State.”

Sen. Wahls said, “During my campaign, I heard over and over again about people’s deep concerns for the future, including issues like the affordability of higher education, housing, child care, and more. The Iowa Future Caucus offers a new opportunity for dialogue about issues like these facing the next generation of Iowans.”

“Collaboration across party lines is crucial to ensuring we find common ground on issues facing Millennials. It is an honor to co-chair the Iowa Future Caucus with Sens. Nunn and Wahls and Rep. James, and I look forward to fostering bipartisan dialogue among young legislators,” said Rep. Mitchell.  

Rep. James commented, “As young leaders, we need to encourage others to become involved in the democratic process. We need to work together, across party lines, on issues that impact the lives of young Iowans in a positive way.”

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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 nearly 28 state legislatures and grown into the largest nonpartisan organization of millennial elected officials in the U.S. More info available at: futurecaucus.org.