Simon Rosenberg

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Simon Rosenberg is the founder of the New Democrat Network, an organization formerly allied with the Democratic Leadership Council, and was a candidate for the Democratic National Committee Chair in 2005. Guided by the vision of building a 21st century Party, Rosenberg has advocated for a vibrant, dynamic and effective strategy to make the Democratic Party competitive in all regions of the country.

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. A 1985 graduate of Tufts University, Rosenberg was born New York City and grew up in New York and Connecticut. He and his family live in Washington, DC.

Having founded NDN in 1996, he currently serves as president of the New Democrat Network, which has since grown to become a powerful, national network of leaders committed to modernizing progressive politics and building a winning, durable Democratic majority. The NDN, like the DLC, is moderate. However, 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 has worked on the ground to help elect Democrats in 12 states across the country. 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.

Though his background is as a centrist, 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. He now sees NDN as a "non-denominational progressive" organization, focused on helping all Democrats be effectively politically.

Some progressive bloggers endorsed Rosenberg, and even some who supported Howard Dean for the post of DNC chair, were friendly towards Rosenberg's candidacy. His bid for DNC chair was endorsed by Joe Trippi, Mike McCurry, Chris Heinz, Rep. Adam Smith, and Rep. Artur Davis. 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 still enjoy the support of many of their initial backers and original supporters of his candidacy for DNC Chair.

[edit] External links

• Campaign website
• "Wiring the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy" by Matt Bai in the New York Times Magazine, July 25, 2004.