Young State Lawmakers From Arkansas, Connecticut, and Kansas to Be Awarded for Their Cross-Party Leadership in 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

December 2, 2021

PRESS INQUIRIES:
Lani Bohm

[email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Millennial Action Project (MAP), the largest nonpartisan organization of Millennial elected officials in the U.S., announced the awardees of the 2021 Rising Star Awards. The Rising Star Awards recognizes lawmakers who have embodied MAP’s mission to transcend political polarization through their public service. 

On December 9th, 2021, in Washington, D.C., the fourth annual Rising Star Award will be presented to Arkansas State Representative Jamie Scott (D) and Connecticut State Representative Devin Carney (R). Both representatives are co-chairs of the Future Caucus in their respective states.

“I’ve always placed tremendous effort in supporting good public policy, regardless of where it originates from, so I’m incredibly honored to receive the Rising Star Award from my peers at the Millennial Action Project for my work in promoting their mission of transcending political tribalism,” Rep. Carney said. “Despite the polarization that seems to be overplayed in the news, I firmly believe there is so much more that unites us politically than divides us, particularly among younger generations. I hope more young people get involved in public service; it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put your name on a ballot or actively support a cause or organization. Thank you to MAP for all of their amazing work and for this distinguished recognition.”

“I am honored to be chosen by the Millennial Action Project and I love that we share the same mission to find common ground with our adversaries,” Rep. Jamie Scott said. “In my service to the Arkansas legislature and as a young woman of color, I have led by example to build relationships across party and demographic aisles to wage inclusive efforts to pass meaningful legislation. I believe our generation needs to be the change we have been waiting on. Our generation owes a great debt to the ones that came before us. I cannot think of a better way to repay that obligation than by working across partisan and racial divides to solve the great challenges of the 21st century. It is time to reunite these great states of America.”

The Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award, recognizing an outstanding state caucus for their future-focused leadership and political bridge-building, will be presented to the Kansas Future Caucus. The Kansas Future Caucus is led by Co-chairs Rep. Tory Arnberger (R) and Rep. Rui Xu (D); and Co-vice-chairs Rep. Brandon Woodard (D) and Rep. Nick Hoheisel (R).

“Winning the 2021 Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award means a great deal to me, both because of who it honors and because of the work we’ve done in Kansas to turn down the heat politically and show people what bipartisanship looks like. While there are many issues we disagree on, we have all worked hard to become friends first and then use that friendship to try to understand each other better, which in turn has made us better friends. It’s an honor to serve with Reps. Arnberger, Hoheisel, and Woodard and it’s an honor to receive this award,” said Rep. Rui Xu.

“The first week of session our Caucus filled out a survey to figure out what issues are most important to them, then tried to find common ground on those issues. We kept the topics broad: We all can agree on access to affordable healthcare, but our avenues may be different. This helped us to figure out where the discussions for this session needed to be geared towards. Politics were set aside, and we held many events for the members to get to know the legislator as an individual, not as a member of a party. It’s a true honor for the Kansas Future Caucus to receive the Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award,” said Rep. Tory Arnberger. 

“We believe we can create a more inclusive, effective, and representative democracy if we can support the next generation of political leaders,” said Layla Zaidane, President & CEO of MAP. “The legislators recognized are living proof of how young people can transform how we do politics. The Rising Star Award and the Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award can honor those leaders for their commitment to building a better future together, while shifting the narrative about what is possible in our democracy. We sincerely congratulate this year’s recipients, and look forward to continued partnership in the new year!”

The Rising Star Awards reception will be held on Thursday, December 9th, at Colada Shop in the District Wharf of Washington, D.C. Awardees will be joined by a community of MAP leaders, supporters, and members of Congress in celebration of their accomplishments.

If you are interested in attending the event, please visit this link.

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The Millennial Action Project (MAP) is the largest nonpartisan organization of millennial elected officials in the U.S., dedicated to activating young leaders to bridge the partisan divide and transform American politics. As a 501(c)(3) organization, MAP has established bipartisan Future Caucuses in 31 state legislatures, launched the first-ever bipartisan caucus for young members of Congress, and engages over 1,600 young legislators across the country to work on future-oriented policy solutions. More info available at: futurecaucus.org.