Brief Bio: Kayla Sullivan lives in Pawleys Island, SC, and she’s the one managing the social media strategy and execution for SC FWD. She’s currently a university student studying political science with a focus on law and society. Recently, Kayla stepped up to become the campaign manager for Forwardist Jay Doyle, who is running for Mayor of Georgetown, SC. When she’s not busy with all that, she loves volunteering at the local animal shelter, supporting local businesses, serves as a member of the Forward Women’s Committee and is an active participant on the WC communications team. 

Q: What are your goals for the upcoming Ask Me Anything For Young Forward Women?

My main goal is really to encourage women of all ages and backgrounds to run for office if it’s something that's in their heart and they truly want to do. I feel like when we share insights into other people's campaign processes, it makes running feel more realistic. It encourages women to actually think about what running would look like for them. I just want young women to be encouraged to dream big!

Q: Why should young women become Forward Women?

I honestly feel that the two-party system just doesn’t work in the best interest of young women. Because of the collaborative nature and core values of the Forward Party, I think young women are better able to achieve common goals that, hopefully, can be turned into legislation that benefits everyone.

With the Forward Party, you don’t have to commit to an extreme opinion. Instead, you get to focus on a common sense, common ground solution. The needs of young American women, and that’s women of every background, can really be best met through Forward Party values.

Q: How did you come to the Forward Party?

Well, it’s a long story, but here’s the short version. I’m an independent through and through, and I’ve been that way since I was about 14 years old. Unfortunately, being a true independent doesn’t always serve you well in a state like South Carolina.

I was raised conservative in a very small town and didn’t question much as a child. I was raised by my white mother and we spent a great deal of time with her side of the family. As a biracial kid, I realized I didn’t quite fit in with my white friends. Like most of us, I wanted to fit in, and so I started looking to the Black community in my area. Basically with their help,  I kind of self-radicalized. 

So I learned more about politics and realized that neither party truly served the Black community very well. Democrats talked a good game, but didn’t do much. Republicans really did nothing. Ultimately, I saw there were policies on both sides that I aligned with, and I realized that I was truly an independent—both in politics and in spirit! 

The Forward Party values just suit me because I believe in democracy, and that no matter what, we are all American first!

Q: When you talk about the FWD Party to people you meet, what do you say?

For one, I always mention that the Forward Party has ballot access here in South Carolina. For two, South Carolina has open primaries, which is a big deal. It means you can actually vote for the person and not necessarily the party in the primaries. The Forward Party advocates for Open Primaries, which means a voter can vote for whomever they want and doesn’t have to stick to one party ballot. It’s really important to me to work to keep Open Primaries in my very red state.

Next up for me in South Carolina would be to advocate for Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)—that’s a system where the voter can rank the candidates, and it’s not a winner-takes-all situation. RCV is great for women and for minority candidates.

Q: This school year, you will finish your degree in political science, but you’re already serving as a campaign manager for a Forwardist running for mayor. Tell us how that happened?

I was already working as the social media chair and strategist for the SC Forward Party. One day, Jay Doyle called up our state chair, Clint Eisenhauer, and asked if he knew anyone that could help with his campaign. Jay is running for mayor of Georgetown, which is a city near where I live. So I started out just doing his campaign social media, and then recently I was promoted to campaign manager. Now, I still do social media, but I also organize campaign events, book speaking engagements for Jay, take the lead on campaign fundraising, and consult with him on a lot of issues.

I am having a blast doing this work! I’m also able to use it as an internship for my degree, which is awesome—getting practical experience and school credit at the same time! I am hoping next year to either get my Masters in Public Administration or go to Law School and get some experience in election law.

Q: Have you ever considered running for office yourself?

Absolutely! I’ve actually had several local leaders ask if I am interested already. I would like to start on the city or county council to just get my feet wet, and who knows where I could go from there!

Q: Any advice for those who are thinking about running for office?

I have lots of advice, but these are my two favorites (which are essentially the same advice):

• Anyone who thinks they can’t do something... you might as well go ahead and just do it.
• And girls who think they should wait for the perfect time to do something—there is no perfect time. Go ahead and just start!

Join Kayla and her guests on the October 23rd Ask Me Anything For Young Forward Women! Register Here!