In 2008, I realized there was a consequential gap in the NewDem landscape and that someone needed to fill it… that’s when the NewDEAL was set into motion.

The idea was straightforward, even if the plan for execution was not.

The Democratic Party had long benefited from the Democratic Leadership Council, but when that organization shut down there was a void — not just organizationally, but ideologically.

I was working with the New Democrat Coalition PAC at the time and we met many candidates seeking funding without a firm grasp of the ideology and governing philosophy that the coalition was built on—the connective tissue of a shared vision had frayed.

We needed a dedicated home for pragmatic, forward-thinking state and local elected officials who were delivering results for their communities.

So we got to work.

We secured (very limited) seed funding, built the framework, and immediately recruited the one and only Debbie Cox Bultan to lead us forward. Widely regarded as the best political talent scout in America, Debbie brought her unmatched eye for identifying the officials who weren’t just winning elections, but those who were governing with vision and competence.

In March 2011 the NewDEAL was officially launched.

From the very beginning, we were fortunate to attract allies and leaders who understood both the mission and the moment. Then-State Assemblyman and current U.S. Representative Joe Morelle of New York stepped up as the organization’s first official elected leader — a fitting choice for someone who embodied exactly the kind of effective, principled governance the NewDEAL was designed to champion.

Looking back, what fills me with the most pride isn’t any single moment or milestone. It’s the totality of it — the track record, the original and current board members who gave this effort their credibility and commitment, the incredible friendships with so many dedicated elected officials, and the amazing investors who understood that building a strong bench of Democratic leaders isn’t a partisan exercise, it’s an investment in the future of the country itself.