Simon Rosenberg is the founder of the New Democrat Network

New Democrat Network

The New Democrat Network is an American think tank that promotes progressive Democratic candidates, especially those in a more centrist vein, although this focus has waxed and waned...

, an organization formerly allied with the Democratic Leadership Council

Democratic Leadership Council

The Democratic Leadership Council was a non-profit 501 corporation that, upon its formation, argued the United States Democratic Party should shift away from the leftward turn it took in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...

, and was a candidate for the Democratic National Committee

Democratic National Committee

The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...

 Chair in 2005.

Early life

A 1985 graduate of Tufts University

Tufts University

Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

, Rosenberg was born in New York City and grew up in New York and Connecticut. He and his family now live in Washington, DC. Before founding NDN, he served as a key member of two Democratic presidential campaigns, working for Michael Dukakis in Iowa in 1987-88 and for Bill Clinton in the New Hampshire primary and the Little Rock War Room in 1991-92. From 1993-1996, he worked at the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Leadership Council.

New Democrat Network

Having founded the New Democrat Network in 1996, he currently serves as president of NDN, which has since grown to become committed to modernizing progressive politics and building a winning, durable Democratic majority. The NDN eschews political orthodoxy when promoting candidates. Additionally, the NDN claims that it uses a more technologically modern and grassroots participatory approach to its activities than the DLC. Rosenberg is a member of the Aspen Institute’s 2001 Class of Henry Crown Fellows and served on the 2004 Democratic National Convention Platform Committee. Rosenberg has worked on the ground to help elect Democrats in 12 states across the country.

Rosenberg has become known for his focus on modernizing and developing the party's organization and communications infrastructure, especially through the use of new technologies such as the internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

. He now sees NDN as a "non-denominational progressive" organization, focused on helping all Democrats be effective politically.

Some progressive bloggers endorsed Rosenberg, and even some who supported Howard Dean

Howard Dean

Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...

 for the post of DNC chair, were friendly towards Rosenberg's candidacy. His bid for DNC chair was endorsed by Joe Trippi

Joe Trippi

Joe Trippi is a long-time American Democratic campaign worker and consultant. A mainstay in presidential politics, Trippi has worked on the presidential campaigns of Edward Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Dick Gephardt, Jerry Brown and most recently John Edwards...

, Mike McCurry, Chris Heinz, Rep. Adam Smith

Adam Smith (politician)

David Adam Smith , American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing Washington's 9th congressional district.-Biography:...

, and Rep. Artur Davis

Artur Davis

Artur Genestre Davis is a former member of the United States House of Representatives for , serving from 2003 to 2011 when he was succeeded by Terri Sewell, also a member of the Democratic Party....

. Rosenberg ended his candidacy for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship on February 4, 2005. On February 12, Howard Dean was elected chairman.

To date, NDN and Rosenberg's political efforts for and within the US Democratic Party still enjoy the support of many of their initial backers and original supporters of his candidacy for DNC Chair.

In May 2011, Rosenberg walked off the set in a FOX News interview after a medicare discussion got a little heated.

External links

• Bio page on NDN website
• Simon Rosenberg's blog
• Recent article titled "The 50 Year Strategy: A New Progressive Era (No, Really!)"
• "Wiring the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy" by Matt Bai
  Matt Bai
  Matt Bai writes the “Political Times” column for the New York Times and is a frequent contributor for the Times Magazine, where he covered both the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns. Bai often explores issues of generational change in American politics and society...
  
   in the New York Times Magazine, July 25, 2004.