House Center-Left New Democrat Coalition Elects Chair

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) speaks during a press conference in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

The center-left New Democrat Coalition (NDC) voted on Nov. 20 to elect Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) as chair to lead the effort to push for the moderate policies the House caucus promotes in the 119th Congress.

Previous NDC Chair Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) praised Schneider as a practical, commonsense leader “needed more than ever.”

Under Schneider’s leadership, the NDC, with a record 108 members, “will continue to fight on behalf of the American people, from growing the economy and lowering costs to expanding freedoms, increasing border security, and strengthening public safety,” Kuster said.

At a press conference on Nov. 21, Schneider said that despite the “tide flowing against” Democrats in the recent election, the NDC persists.

“In fact, New Dems not only helped reelect 85 of our returning members, we’re bringing in 23, maybe 24, and maybe 25, new members of the coalition,” he said.

According to Schneider, there will be a total of 108 to 110 new members in the next Congress, which will make the NDC a majority of the Democratic caucus for the first time.

The key to the NDC’s success is its ability to hear voters on issues that will improve their lives, he said.

“Having that understanding with the breadth and diversity of our coalition is going to help bring Democrats back into the majority in the next Congress in 2026,” Schneider said.

“We know what voters are looking for. We know how to tackle the challenges.”

He said the NDC will work to hold the incoming Trump administration accountable and that 23 other confirmed new members will “bring a whole host of new ideas.”

“All of our members will have a chance to succeed,” he said. “We will help them make sure that they advance the interests and priorities of the districts they represent.”

According to its website, the NDC was formed by House Democrats in 1997 to “work to bridge the partisan divide with a solutions-oriented approach to politics.”

“The Coalition’s primary goal is to find workable solutions to the most pressing issues facing our nation—from ensuring every American has access to quality health care to increasing affordable housing in every community,” the website states.

New Vice Chair Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) said the NDC has a stronger position in the next Congress to “push for issues that matter most to the American people” while looking forward.

“This Congress, we should be preparing a legislative agenda that is also actionable in 2026 when we take back the House majority,” she said.