TL;DR
NDTC CEO Kelly Dietrich is making the rounds — from Politico Playbook to national radio — and his message is landing: Democrats win when they invest in the people behind the candidates.
NDTC’s intensive staff training program and nationwide trainings are already underway, with Rep. Maxwell Frost showing up to address trainees, and Politico and Punchbowl taking notice of our $1.25 million investment fueling the pipeline this cycle alone.
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If you’ve been following Democratic news in recent weeks, you may have noticed a familiar name and face popping up across your feeds.
Our founder and CEO, Kelly Dietrich, has been busy — and for good reason.
With the Texas primary delivering a jolt of energy to Democrats nationwide, and the 2026 midterm landscape shifting by the day, media outlets across Washington are asking the same question: how do Democrats actually build on this momentum?
NDTC is laser-focused on making sure this moment translates to long-term power, and Kelly has been amplifying our answer.
Here’s where you may have seen him lately.
In The Associated Press
When the Associated Press needed a Democratic voice to weigh in on the political fallout from Trump’s war in Iran, they called Kelly.
The piece captures a broader truth that NDTC has been organizing around all cycle: voters are unhappy, and that unhappiness has ballot box consequences for Republicans who promised to bring down everyday costs.
Kelly put it plainly: the past few weeks have exposed an administration with no long-term plan — one where working Americans are left footing the bill for the chaos at the top. And with control on the line this November, Democrats are united to make the case for change.
NDTC exists to make sure that when voters are ready to send a message, Democrats have the trained candidates and campaign staff in place to receive it — at every level of the ballot, in every corner of the country.
On John Fugelsang’s Tell Me Everything
Kelly joined guest host Joe Sudbay for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on the political moment Democrats find themselves in now and how we can make the most of it.
Sudbay noted right out of the gate that he regularly gets to interview NDTC-trained candidates on his own show — a testament to how far NDTC’s reach goes and how many voices we’re bringing to the public square.
Kelly shared how Democrats can cut through the noise of MAGA chaos by making national issues feel local and immediate, and why message discipline — honing exactly what you’re saying and who you’re saying it to — is the difference between a campaign that connects and one that doesn’t.
In Politico Playbook
Politico Playbook — the most widely read morning briefing in Democratic politics — flagged NDTC’s investment as one of the defining infrastructure moves of the cycle.
They highlighted NDTC’s commitment of $1.25 million this year alone, with nearly $4 million committed through 2028, specifically to address the staffing capacity challenges that have quietly hobbled Democratic campaigns at every level for years.
Good candidates lose races they should win because they don’t have enough trained people around them. That’s the problem NDTC exists to solve — and Playbook’s audience now knows how important you are.
In The Independent
Following the Texas primary results, Kelly sat down with The Independent’s Inside Washington newsletter for a conversation about what Democrats are doing differently this cycle.
His message was direct: voters are responding to candidates who talk about the issues that matter to their lives — affordability, accountability, and fairness. But candidates don’t win alone. “You need people,” Kelly said. “Staff, volunteers behind the candidate, doing the hard work.”
NDTC is walking that walk. More on that below.
In National Journal’s Hotline
National Journal’s flagship political newsletter highlighted NDTC’s newly announced investment of nearly $4 million in staff training efforts running through the 2026 and 2028 cycles.
Thousands of people accessed NDTC training courses in 2025 alone. With an investment like this specifically targeted at Democratic campaign staff, we’ll be able to get our professional-grade training and resources behind countless races this year.
In Punchbowl News
Punchbowl News spotlighted something that doesn’t happen every day: a sitting member of Congress (and an alum of NDTC training!) showing up to talk to the next generation of Democratic campaign staffers.
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) addressed aspiring field directors and fundraisers taking part in NDTC’s intensive staff training program this week. His message to the room was direct and energizing: yes, we’re in a moment of chaos — but campaigns have a unique power to take the concern, anger, and anxiety people are feeling and turn it into action with NDTC.
Why This Matters
The political world is taking notice of what NDTC has been building for years.
Democrats’ infrastructure gap is no longer a background concern. It’s front-page news. Donors are asking where their money will have the most impact. Operatives are asking where the next generation of talent is coming from. Candidates are asking who will help them build the teams they need to win. NDTC is the answer to all three questions — and the national press is finally saying so out loud.
Our staff training cohorts are already underway. Our trainers are heading to states like Alaska and North Carolina to get to work. Our investment is committed. The candidates and campaigns that will define the 2026 midterms are taking off right now. There is no more waiting for the right moment — this is it.
If you believe Democrats win when they out-organize, out-train, and out-hustle — this is where you show up.
Want to get involved? Learn more about NDTC’s training programs here. If you believe that winning campaigns are built on trained people — not just good candidates — now is the time to act.
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