Third Way: How The Next Generation Of Democratics Will Carry The Party Forward

From Top Left to Right: Joss Ossoff, Jeff Jackson, Emilia Sykes, Sara Jacobs, and Joe Neguise

The Democratic party, currently holding majority in the Senate and White House has been increasing associated with the out of touch, aging bureaucrats having little in common with the people they represent. While Joe Biden is expected to run again in 2024, there are rising stars in the Democratic party who can carry the party past the Biden years. These 5 rising stars standout because of their impressive bipartisan legislative ability, early leadership positions within Congress and the Democratic party, and their connection to their voters. These newcomers to Congress, all 40 and under, have the much-needed fresh perspective to reinvigorate the Democratic party and its voters.

The first rising star of the Democratic party is Jon Ossof. Ossof is 35, making him the only currently elected senator under 40. He won a close race that resulted in a runoff in January of 2021. In the runoff he managed to receive the majority, 50% of the vote, carrying him to victory. This made him, and Raphael Warnock, the first Democratic senators elected to Georgia since 1997. As a result of this victory, Ossof achieved national attention with the ability to flip Georgia blue. While he has been outspoken about being more progressive on certain issues such as healthcare, he is relatively center left given his moderate constituency. He remains moderate on issues of jobs and security. In his first two years as senator, he managed to pass more standalone bills than any other freshman senator. Furthermore, he successfully enacted bipartisan legislation to help military families afford housing, investment in semiconductors, and on funding for law enforcement and mental health services. His successful legislative ability, including the ability to reach across the aisle, combined with national reputation and success electorally, makes him one to watch.

Jeff Jackson is a newly elected congressional representative representing North Carolina’s 14th district at the age of 40. He won his election with 58% of the vote and represents a district covering South and West Charlotte. Prior to his election, he served in the North Carolina general assembly for 8 years and currently remains a major in the army reserves while representing his district. Jackson is a moderate, prioritizing common sense gun legislation, codifying Roe v. Wade, and a movement towards green energy. More importantly, however, he has garnered attention through TikTok, amassing an average of 2.2 million views per video, while receiving as much as 6 million for his video on the debt ceiling. In his videos, he breaks down current bills and issues going on in Congress in a common-sense, no-nonsense way. His ability to explain complicated legislation to his viewers in a non-partisan way has led to his popularity on the platform. His popularity and ability to use a new form of media to connect with voters successfully makes for a rising star.

The next young Democrat to look out for is Joe Neguise, 38 years old representing Colorado’s 2nd district. Neguise is Colorado’s first black member of Congress and was elected in 2018 with 60% of the vote. He focuses on gun violence prevention and sits on the immigration committee. Furthermore, in 2022, he was elected to serve as the chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, which plays an important role in party messaging. In his second term, he introduced more bills than any member of the House and was ranked among the top 10 most effective legislators by the Center For Effective Lawmaking. Furthermore, he received the Bipartisan Policy Centers Action Award in 2022 for his focus on bipartisan lawmaking. Neguise’s early success as a legislator and impressive ability to reach across the aisle will greatly affect legislation for years to come makes him a standout amongst his peers.

Emilia Sykes is 36 and the first Black woman elected to represent Ohio’s 13th district, winning in 2022 with 53% of the vote. Prior to being elected to Congress, she served in the state house as the minority leader. Under her leadership, the percentage of bipartisan bills passed was nearly double each of the four years combined. She received numerous awards for her legislative ability, such as legislator of the year from the Ohio minority business enterprise and Emily’s list national rising star award. Syke’s impressive ability as a lawmaker and a leader in the Democratic party makes her one of a kind.

Finally, Sara Jacobs is 33 and represents California’s 51st Congressional district, winning with 61% of the vote. Prior to Congress, she had extensive work in non-profits in the international field, founding Project Connect, a non-profit so successful it has become a part of Unicef’s work. She was also a foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign and served in the bureau of conflict and stabilization operations at the Department of State. At 33, she is the caucus leadership representative making her the youngest member of Democratic leadership. Jacobs’ impressive knowledge and background in foreign policy and early leadership roles makes her an early leader, especially on the national stage.

While these candidates are new and young, their national recognition, successful legislative ability and in-depth knowledge of policy makes them rising stars in the Democratic party; they standout additionally by being able to reach across the aisle and by being able to win in competitive districts or states. These members of Congress can carry the party forward by focusing on issues affecting younger generations: gun violence, climate change, affordable health care, and America’s place in the world. The young members of Congress have the ability to do things like conquer new forms of media which allows them to reach out to new voters and connect. This youth and energy, this excitement and activity breathes new life into a Democratic party heavily associated with age. These rising stars can reinvigorate the American voters and push forward to a more active party for years to come.