Politics

Neera Tanden is returning to the Center for American Progress. She thinks Democrats have work to do.

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2025

Neera Tanden is reprising her role at the helm of the Center for American Progress, one of the Democratic Party’s most influential think tanks, as the party looks to regain its footing with voters and counter President Donald Trump.

It’s a homecoming for Tanden, who was named president and chief executive of CAP Thursday, resuming roles she held before serving in then-President Joe Biden’s administration.

Tanden’s return comes at an inflection point for the party, which has struggled to carve a lane after the 2024 presidential elections. Since Election Day, Democrats have conceded they should have campaigned harder on economic hardship and other issues, and that the party needs to reorient its messaging as Trump works to overhaul the government.

“It’s incumbent of us not to be defenders of the status quo, but to provide an alternative,” Tanden said in an interview with Blue Light News. In her vision, the party should use moments like the recent House Republican push to cut Medicaid spending to demonstrate to voters the harmful real-world impact of these decisions, she said. Democrats can also use these moments to form alliances with on-the-fence congressional Republicans like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), she added, who said he had “concerns” about Medicaid cuts.

Tanden has worked as a domestic policy aide for the Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations. She has since been dubbed a key architect of domestic policy, including the Affordable Care Act.

That hasn’t come without controversy. She was known for legendary spats with critics — including more progressive Democrats — on social media, and would colorfully insult Republicans. (She’s stated “vampires have more heart” than Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and referred to Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell as “Voldemort.”)

Tanden left CAP to serve as a top aide for the Biden administration. She was originally nominated to be Biden’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, but withdrew with her confirmation sputtering in the Senate. She ultimately served in several senior roles in Biden’s White House.

In that time, CAP has struggled. The center recently terminated 8 percent of its workforce, The New York Times reported. The terminations came as Democratic donors said they would withhold funds for think tanks until the groups generate a coherent strategy for the party.

Still, it’s a particularly opportune time to unleash her new strategy to “oppose and counter” because Trump’s approval ratings are faltering, Tanden said.

“CAP was kind of born for moments like this, where you need both the critique and developing the alternative,” Tanden said. “Americans are waiting on that.”

Politics

Amish Shah wins Dem primary in battleground Arizona House race

Published

6 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Former state Rep. Amish Shah won the crowded Democratic primary for Arizona’s 1st District on Wednesday, defeating an establishment pick and other well-funded candidates for the battleground seat.

The district, which President Donald Trump carried by just three points in 2024, is one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities this cycle — and the tight primary evolved into a test of party leaders, after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee backed former broadcast journalist Marlene Galán-Woods.

In the end, voters rejected Galán-Woods, the latest example of an establishment-backed candidate losing as Democrats continue to show frustration with leaders in Washington.

This year marks the second consecutive time Shah won the district’s Democratic primary: He won it in 2024, before losing to Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) by four points in the general election.

The seat became open when Schweikert, an eight-term Republican lawmaker, decided to take on another member of the Arizona House delegation, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), in the GOP primary for governor.

Shah will take on Jay Feely in the general election. The Trump-endorsed former NFL kicker who spent four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals bested former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik in the Republican primary on Tuesday.

The 1st District surrounds Phoenix in central Arizona, and encompasses wealthy Scottsdale and Paradise Valley as well as large swaths of land to the northeast of the city.