The New Democrat Coalition is a congressional caucus made up of Democratic members of the House of Representatives that claims to advocate for “bridg[ing] the partisan divide” with Republican representatives on policy related to business and national defense.  ¹

The New Democrat Coalition and its advocacy arm, the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, are partners of Defend the Vote Action Fund, a hybrid political action committee (PAC) that funds organizations to support the campaigns of Democratic Party candidates for federal and state offices. ^{2 3}

Background

The New Democrat Coalition was founded in 1997 by then-Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA), Cal Dooley (D-CA), and Tim Roemer (D-IN).  ^{1 4}

Following the 2012 elections, 16 Democrats joined the caucus, ⁵  and as of 2025 membership has reportedly increased to 115, ^{5 1} which the group claims represents “over half the Democratic Caucus.” ¹

Activities

Members of the New Democrat Coalition have advocated for policy approaches to several topics that align with certain Republican members of Congress as well as left-of-center policy. These include policies towards immigration, crime reduction, and environmental programs towards developing weather-dependent energy technologies. ¹

The Coalition touts itself as a moderate group, with many policies in common with moderate Republicans. ⁵ These include pro-business objectives like improving the finances of American small businesses, lowering costs, and addressing the national debt; social policies like reducing crime and violence, and improving border security; and national security policies like enhancing America’s defense capacities. However, the Coalition also supports a host of solidly left-of-center issues, such as the creation of more “union jobs,” the “expansion of new energy sources,” government-regulated housing, socialized health care, and environmental programs which it describes as “responding to a changing climate with investments in new, clean energy and emission reducing/carbon capture technologies.”  ^{3 1}

In March 2025, New Democrat Coalition launched a podcast called The Fly-In, where members discuss current events and policy-related issues on Capitol Hill. ^{6 7}

As of May 2025, Coalition members were divided into nine groups, with each assigned a specific policy area.  ⁸

Partnerships

The New Democrat Coalition and its advocacy arm, the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, are official partners of Defend the Vote Action Fund, a hybrid political action committee (PAC) that funds organizations to support the campaigns of Democratic Party candidates for federal and state offices. ^{2 3}

Expenditures

In the 2024 cycle, New Democrat Coalition’s affiliated PACs contributed nearly $800,000 to political candidates and campaign committees, while its members and affiliated individuals contributed about $185,000. All recipient candidates were registered Democrats. ⁹

Leadership

As of May 2025, during the 119th Congress, the New Democrat Coalition was led by ten members. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) was chair, Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA) was vice chair for member services, Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) was vice chair for policy, Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) was vice chair for communications, Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) was vice chair for outreach, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) was vice chair at large, Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) was whip, Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) was freshman leadership representative, Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) was a leadership member at large, and Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR) was a leadership member at large. ^{1 10}

1. “About Us.” New Democrat Coalition. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/about-us.
2. “DTV and DTV Action Fund Partners.” Defend The Vote. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/dtv-and-dtv-action-fund-partners/.
3. “About Us.” Defend The Vote. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/about/.
4. Heilbrunn, Jacob. “The New Democrats.” The New Republic, November 17, 1997. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://newrepublic.com/article/93596/democratic-leadership-council-al-from.
5.  Lillis, Mike. “A new chairman at helm, New Dems seek more influence in this Congress.” The Hill, February 26, 2013. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/143090-a-new-chairman-at-helm-new-dems-seek-more-influence-in-this-congress/.
6. NewDemocratCoalition. “The Fly-In | Episode 1 | “The Pilot.” YouTube, March 11, 2025. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-nby5h9lAY.
7. “The Fly-In.” New Democrat Coalition. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/media-center/the-fly-in
8. “Working Groups.” New Democrat Coalition. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/working-groups.
9. “Summary.” New Democrat Coalition. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/new-democrat-coalition/summary?id=D000022150.
10. “Members.” New Democrat Coalition. Accessed May 14, 2025. https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/members.