When Democrats took back the House of Representatives in 2018, more than two-thirds of their newly elected members chose to join the New Democrat Coalition (NDC). Founded in 1997 as a congressional home for the acolytes of the pro-business Democratic Leadership Council, NDC has grown to some 100 members—nearly half of all congressional Democrats—many of whom are poised to play a major role in shaping legislation for the next two years.
Here are the key facts to understanding the New Democrat Coalition:
One of the biggest Democratic caucuses, and possibly the most influential
While Democratic House groups like the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have grabbed more headlines in recent years, the New Democrats outnumbered both until this year's elections, while exercising vastly more influence. With 104 members, NDC was not only the largest Democratic caucus in the 116th Congress but the second-largest group in the House regardless of party affiliation. While all eyes in 2018 were fixed on progressive upstarts like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, future members of the New Democrats were winning big and flipping red districts. However, this year, the majority of House Democrats' losses will come from many of the same districts, with at least five of those losses coming in seats held by New Democrats.
Few big names, but big numbers, big money, and the potential for big futures
The NDC’s current chair is Rep. Derek Kilmer, a fourth-term congressman from Washington State that even most political junkies have probably never heard of. The caucus’ leadership is similarly lacking in famous-for-Washington names, as are the ranks of the NDC’s membership, with only a few standouts like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Seth Moulton. But their members are large in number and bring home the bacon: Along with being the largest Democratic caucus, two of the five biggest fundraisers in the House (Reps. Adam Schiff of California and Melissa Slotkin of Michigan) are New Democrats.
Another former chair of the NDC with previously low name recognition was Rep. Joe Crowley, the New York congressman who was famously unseated in 2018 by Ocasio Cortez. Crowley was able to take his chairmanship of the New Democrats to become chair of the Democratic Caucus, one of the highest party leadership positions in Congress.
A focus on the economy with centrist, pro-business allies
The New Democrats are a pro-business block mainly focused on the economy. Last year, they released their “20 for 2020” agenda, a list of major priorities largely focused on progressive economic development, such as affordable housing, building infrastructure and lowering healthcare costs. But the agenda also leaves room for more explicitly neoliberal ideological projects like fiscal reform, free trade and “restoring American global leadership.” Third Way, the moderate think tank, serves as an important ally for the NDC, with both sharing a focus on bread-and-butter economic issues and moderate, pro-business policies.
Outside of Washington, the New Democrats support their caucus members and like-minded candidates for Congress through the independent NewDem Action Fund. The NewDem Action Fund spent $2.8 million in 2018 and $2.5 million in 2020. Much of this money was spent trying to protect or flip purple and red districts.
Divisions with the left remain - and might be growing
While the New Democrats were focused on flipping seats with moderates in 2018 and 2020, more progressive groups and members worked to elect left-wing candidates in both deep blue and swing districts. While the New Dems were more successful in their efforts to flip districts, growing their caucus considerably, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) added to their ranks, as well, winning primaries in solid Democratic seats. At 95 House members in the 116th Congress, the Progressive Caucus was neck and neck with the New Dems (a handful of members are in both caucuses). This competition will only grow stronger with New Dem losses in 2020 and progressive successes like the elections of Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri.
The two caucuses split the party almost evenly down the middle, meaning that passing any major legislation requires the overwhelming support of both groups. It should be noted that these divisions stand in stark contrast to the right, where the Republican Study Committee—the lower House’s largest caucus of any party—includes the vast majority of Republicans and hugely outnumbers the more right-wing Freedom Caucus.
While the Democratic party was relatively united in its efforts to defeat Trump and the Republicans in 2020, the two wings are already coming to loggerheads about Democratic losses. Democrats in the center and on the left want bold policies in 2021, but their exact plans vary greatly. On the issue of climate, for example, the Biden campaign’s plan came with a price tag of about $2 trillion over 10 years; that would be a fraction of the cost of Progressive Caucus member Ocasio Cortez’s far more expansive Green New Deal.
Democrats won big in 2018 and took by the White House in 2020, giving their big-tent coalition a chance to show that they can govern. The New Democrats will undoubtedly play a huge role in guiding their efforts.
