By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff

Rep. Joseph Crowley calls the New Democrat Coalition the sweet spot of the Democratic caucus, both a barometer of its leanings and an influential network that can help move the party’s agenda.

Elected chairman of the group by acclamation on Thursday, the New Yorker will be leading a charge to put the imprint of business-friendly Democrats on big bills ranging from health care to energy to national security.

“We’re Democrats first,” Crowley said in an interview Wednesday. “We recognize that we need to work with other caucuses and that we need to work with the Democratic leadership to achieve our goals.”

Members of the coalition say Crowley, a Queens Democrat who serves as a chief deputy whip and finance chairman of the party’s campaign committee, is uniquely positioned to keep the group of moderate Democrats and the leadership in sync.

“He brings an enormous amount of political savvy,” said Rep. Artur Davis , D-Ala. “Joe is one of the most skilled tacticians in the Democratic caucus.”

There was a time — and there likely will be again — when Crowley’s hopes were fixed on applying that acumen from a spot in the party’s elected leadership.

Crowley lost a three-way race for caucus vice chairman in 2006 to Connecticut Rep. John B. Larson , who had Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s backing.

Later, Crowley, whose political base overlaps with that of Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, opted not to run against Pelosi’s pick for vice chairman, Xavier Becerra of California. Crowley’s decision not to make another bid for the post avoided what could have been a second bruising fight against a Pelosi-backed candidate.

“When one door closes, others open up,” Crowley said. “I think it gives me another opportunity to demonstrate my ability to be a leader.”

Rep. James P. Moran , D-Va., who helped found the New Democrat Coalition as an outgrowth of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council during the Clinton administration, said Crowley does not need any “stepping stones” to position himself for another leadership run.

“I think he’s already on a high plateau in terms of ascension to leadership.”

Crowley’s ties to leadership may help him as a bridge between the group he now heads and those who decide what gets to the House floor, but getting New Democrats on board any particular bill can be a challenge.

On the climate change bill (HR 2454), for example, a dozen of the 44 Democratic “no” votes came from members of the New Democrat Coalition. A majority of the group, however, supported the bill, which the House passed 219-212 on June 26.