New SC is more than a campaign. It is a movement built on the belief that South Carolina’s future should be shaped by working families, educators, veterans, small business owners, healthcare advocates, labor leaders, and everyday people whose voices have too often been overlooked.
Long before the 2026 election cycle, organizers, advocates, and community leaders across South Carolina were building the foundation for a different kind of politics. They fought for workers’ rights, expanded voter participation, advocated for economic justice, strengthened local communities, and challenged systems that concentrated power in the hands of a few while leaving many South Carolinians behind.
The New SC movement is rooted in the idea that government should create opportunity, not obstacles. It supports strong public schools, accessible healthcare, fair wages, modern infrastructure, economic mobility, voting rights, and accountable leadership. At its core, New SC is about building a state where every person has a fair shot at success regardless of race, income, geography, or political influence. The movement draws its strength from grassroots organizing, community engagement, and the belief that lasting change happens when ordinary people work together toward a common purpose.
Powered by the people, New SC represents a growing coalition committed to building a stronger, more prosperous, and more equitable South Carolina for future generations.
Few people have done more to help build the foundation of the New SC movement than Brandon Upson.
An eighth-generation South Carolinian, U.S. Army combat veteran, political strategist, and nationally recognized organizer, Upson has spent much of the last two decades building political power in communities that have historically been ignored by traditional institutions. From registering tens of thousands of voters across the South to advocating for workers’ rights, labor organizing, and civic engagement, his work has consistently focused on expanding opportunity and ensuring that everyday people have a seat at the table.
As founder of The New Progressive South, Upson has helped develop a new generation of organizers, activists, labor leaders, and candidates committed to creating lasting change. His leadership helped advance workers’ rights initiatives, strengthen civic participation, and build coalitions capable of competing in places many believed were unwinnable.
Upson’s philosophy is simple: purpose over power. He believes political movements succeed when they remain rooted in the communities they serve rather than the institutions they seek to influence. That belief has helped shape New SC into a movement focused not on personalities, but on building a future where working people, families, and local communities have the power to shape South Carolina’s destiny.