Simon Rosenberg

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.

A 1985 graduate of Tufts University, 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.

Having founded the New Democrat Network in 1996, he currently serves as president of NDN, which has become committed to modernizing left-wing politics and building a persistent 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. He now sees NDN as a "non-denominational progressive" organization, focused on helping all Democrats be effective politically.

Rosenberg ran in the 2005 election for Chair of the Democratic National Committee. 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 Party still enjoy the support of many of their initial backers and original supporters of his candidacy for DNC Chair.