Brandon Upson

Brandon Upson is a nationally respected strategist, movement builder, and lifelong advocate for justice and equity. He is the founder of The New Progressive South, a political powerhouse that equips working-class communities to win real political power. Under his leadership, the organization helped pass South Carolina’s first-ever Workers’ Bill of Rights resolution and is now training union members across the South to run for local office — putting power directly into the hands of those who keep our communities running. Brandon is also the founder of Amplify Action, a civic engagement organization focused on restoring political power to marginalized communities by mobilizing Black men across the South. In 2020 alone, Amplify Action registered 29,080 Black men and turned out over 450,000 Black voters to the polls. He has served as Chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party Black Caucus, Chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Southern Region Political Action Committee, and Chief Strategy Officer for the South Carolina House Minority Caucus. 

Brandon is an eighth-generation South Carolina native, reared in Aiken SC. He is a US Army Combat Veteran and a notable political strategist. Brandon served in Iraq as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist, and later as a Combat Engineer for a trailblazing task force during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also volunteered on more than 100 combat missions in Iraq and was honored with an Army Commendation Medal and as his Company's Soldier of the year in 2006 and NCO of the year in 2008.

Brandon attended the College of Charleston, the Frontline Leaders Academy Fellowship, New Leaders Council, and the DCCC Senior Field Director and Campaign Management training programs. After college, he extended his service from defending our freedom to fighting to rebuild underserved communities. In 2016, Brandon and his wife started The Unity Initiative, a project focused on building stronger relationships between communities and local Law Enforcement.

Brandon has worked on nearly four dozen political campaigns across the country and has been called the 'political magician' because of his ability to win long-shot races. He has also managed multiple policy initiatives and has successfully led and advised the efforts to amend the North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida state constitutions. His work has been featured nationally on CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, Buzzfeed, and the New York Times. He also served as Tom Steyer's National Organizing Director and Senior Advisor to South Carolina, where he led the state's day-to-day operations and overall strategy and brought Mr. Steyer from 4% in the polls to a competitive third-place finish. Brandon’s career reflects a deep commitment to building grassroots power, protecting democracy, and ensuring that everyday people—not just the wealthy or well-connected—have a seat at the table.

Brandon is married to Monica Upson and is the proud father of three children: Cossette, Sophie, and Patrick.