Patrick Rodenbush is a Democratic Party political operative, working as of early 2020 as communications director for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). Rodenbush previously served as assistant press secretary for the Obama administration, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice,¹ and similar public affairs and communications roles for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). ² He was also a staff assistant for U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). ³

Background

Rodenbush graduated from College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts in 2008. He married Jennifer DeAngelis, a senior health policy adviser to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), on June 9, 2018 in Washington, D.C. ³

Social Media Presence

Rodenbush is an active participate on social media, including both LinkedIn and Twitter. He has “tweeted” on Twitter denouncing the Republican Party, President Donald Trump and his administration, and supporting left-leaning ideas such as Democratic redistricting plans, gun control, aggressive climate change regulations, and increased government control of health care. ⁴ He accuses the Republican party of gerrymandering and not supporting ‘fair maps’ initiatives. Rodenbush has expressed credence toward claims that President Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign colluded with Russian intelligence and claims that Russia is “propping up his [President Trump] campaign again,” referring to the 2020 presidential election. ⁴

National Democratic Redistricting Committee

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee is a Democratic Party PAC (political action committee) conceived in late 2016 and launched on January 12, 2017⁵ and run by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder⁶ to create a redistricting strategy that will shift power and give Democrats electoral advantages. ⁷

Organizing for Action, former President Barack Obama’s political organization, merged in early-2019 with Holder’s group, providing the National Democratic Redistricting Committee with a list of supporters, donors, and volunteers that Obama and his team had built. ⁶

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee has set its focus on 12 key states to increase its Democratic representation in Congress. Ohio is one key state and Rodenbush stated the committee plans to become involved in two races to fill two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court, but the group has yet to decide how much money to pour into the state as of January 2020 because it will depend on what happens with the 2020 presidential race. ⁸ Rodenbush claims that the next ten years of politics are at stake in the upcoming elections for state legislative seats across the country. ⁹ He has accused Republicans of handpicking their voters and that without having ‘fair maps’ people are not able to freely choose their representatives. ¹⁰

1. Heath, Brad. “New Police Radars Can ‘See’ Inside Homes. USA Today. January 19, 2015. Accessed February 20, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/01/19/police-radar-see-through-walls/22007615/
2. LinkedIn: Patrick Rodenbush. Accessed February 21, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-rodenbush-27865612/
3. “Jennifer DeAngelis, Patrick Rodenbush.” New York Times. June 10, 2018. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/10/fashion/weddings/jennifer-deangelis-patrick-rodenbush.html
4. Twitter: Patrick Rodenbush. Accessed February 21, 2020. https://twitter.com/pnrodenbush?lang=en
5. “Press Release: Holder Launches New Democratic Redistricting Effort.” National Democratic Redistricting Committee. January 12, 2017. Accessed February 21, 2020. https://democraticredistricting.com/press-release-holder-launches-new-democratic-redistricting-effort/
6. Wilson, Reid. “Obama Political Arm to Merge with Holder-run Group.” The Hill. February 21, 2019. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/430845-obama-political-arm-to-merge-with-holder-run-group
7. “About the NDRC.” National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://democraticredistricting.com/about/
8. Tobias, Andrew J. “Ohio 2020 Election Targeted by National Obama/Holder Redistricting Group. January 16, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/01/ohio-2020-election-targeted-by-national-obama-holder-redistricting-group.html
9. Lieb, David. “Redistricting Power at Stake in 2020 Legislative Elections.” Star Tribune. January 11, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/01/ohio-2020-election-targeted-by-national-obama-holder-redistricting-group.html
10. Lai, Jonathan. “Get Ready for Money to Pour into Pa. Legislative Races Because the Winners Get to Draw Congressional Maps.” The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 22, 2019. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-2020-legislative-elections-redistricting-20191222.html