Rod Snyder

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jefferson County native Rod Snyder was elected the 39th President of the Young Democrats (YDA) of America yesterday at the organization’s national conference in Washington, DC. Snyder is only the second West Virginian to lead YDA in the organization’s 78-year history.

Snyder graduated in 2002 with a Bachelors degree in Political Science from Eastern University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he served as president of the student body. He currently works as Director of Public Policy with the National Corn Growers Association in Washington, DC and resides on his family’s farm in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia.

Snyder previously served as President of the West Virginia Young Democrats from2007 2009, YDA Mid-Atlantic Region Director from 2007 2009 and YDA Executive Vice President from 2009 2010 .

In 2004, Snyder was a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates and was named the state’s Outstanding Young Democrat of the Year in 2005. He is the son of West Virginia State Senator Herb Snyder.

During the 2008 election cycle, Snyder managed three successful campaigns in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, including the election of the youngest ever female legislator in the history of the state, Delegate Tiffany Lawrence. He also served on the Agriculture and Rural Policy Advisory Committee for the2008 Barack Obama for President Campaign.

Snyder is an accomplished singer/songwriter and was a semifinalist on season four of the television show American Idol. In 2006, he released his debut full-length album entitled “Leaving Hollywood Behind.”

At this weekend’s national conference, YDA also adopted resolutions expressing condolences to the families of the fallen miners at the Upper Big Branch disaster, as well as honoring the life and service of Senator Robert C. Byrd.

The Young Democrats of America is the largest youth-led, national, partisan political organization. YDA mobilizes young people under the age of 36 to participate in the electoral process, influences the ideals of the Democratic Party, and develops the skills of the youth generation to serve as leaders at the local and national level. YDA has been the official youth arm of the Democratic Party since 1932. Since 2002, YDA has operated independently of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as a nonfederal 527 political organization.