Simon (Si) Gerson (1909-2004) was a leader of the Communist Party of the United States and the CP’s leading expert on political campaigns and elections. He was arguably most famous for being the party’s choice to fill the New York City Council opening left by the death of Peter Cacchione, even though the council refused to approve the appointment. In the 1950s, he became an editor of The Daily Worker and later to The Daily World.