MEET BRANDON UPSON
(HE/HIM)
Husband. Father. Veteran. Democratic Strategist.
Brandon Upson lives in York County with his wife, Monica, and his three children. Brandon is the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party Black Caucus, chair of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Southern Region Political Action Committee, and the founder of Amplify Action: a nonprofit organization focused on rebuilding political power within marginalized communities across the South through the voter registration and civic mobilization of Black men. In 2020, his organization registered 39,080 Black men and mobilized 450,000+ Black voters to get out and vote.
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 over 100 combat missions in Iraq and was honored with an Army Commendation Medal as his Company's Soldier of the Year in 2006 and NCO of the Year in 2008.
As Chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party Black Caucus, Brandon has grown the organization from 50 members to over 250 active members with 900 on the roll, raised more than $50,000 in a short amount of time, and supported 14 candidates as a caucus and flipped six seats from red to BLUE.
Brandon has managed or advised more than 40 races across nine states. Most recently, Brandon and his organization Amplify Action helped protect one of the most vulnerable congressional seats in the country by electing Democrat Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and then Congressman Donald “Don” Davis. Brandon has won 11 out of 11 races in Georgia and successfully worked to amend the North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida state constitutions.
Brandon helps raise $150,000 - $250,000 annually to support non-profit organizations and campaigns across the country.
Brandon has completed the Frontline Leadership Academy, YP4 Fellowship, New Leaders Council Fellowship, DCCC Senior Field Director training, DCCC Campaign Manager training, Wellstone Action Campaign training, Democratic Training Committee candidate training, DFA organizer training, Organizing For America (OFA) Fellowship, and the Realtors of America Association candidate training program.