After the Democratic Party’s setbacks in the 2024 election, some members are looking to the Republicans for inspiration. They’re rolling out a comprehensive policy initiative known as Project 2029.
Andrei Chany, the project’s chief architect, mentioned to The New York Times that Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss stemmed from criticizing President Donald Trump’s ideas instead of showcasing his own agenda. Chany’s approach bears notable resemblance to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which was instrumental in the Democrats’ critique of Trump during the previous election cycle.
“The oldest truth in politics is you can’t beat something that’s nothing,” former Democrat speechwriter Cherny told The Times.
Cherny is assembling a group of Democrats to draft and share policy proposals every few months leading up to 2028. However, the chosen board members have connections to President Joe Biden and other prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
According to Chany, the team he’s formed to create this plan represents the “Avengers of Public Policy,” consisting of top thinkers across various perspectives. They plan to organize public meetings to discuss differing views, focusing on categories like national security, economic strategies, and educational reforms.
Neera Tanden is reportedly on the advisory board. She previously led the Center for American Progress and acted as a senior advisor to Biden. Biden initially nominated her to direct the Office of Management and Budget in 2021, but withdrew the nomination after facing backlash. Notably, she deleted around 1,000 tweets shortly after her nomination.
Jake Sullivan, a former national security adviser under Biden, is also part of the board. He reportedly considered resigning following the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of 13 service members.
Another board member is Anne Marie Slaughter, who served as the director of policy planning at the State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton and has authored works on global governance and international matters.
Jim Kessler, a founder of the Third Way organization, is another advisor. He has experience working with Senator Chuck Schumer on issues such as gun control.
Felicia Wong, a former president of the Roosevelt Institute and ex-vice chair of the Financial Advisory Committee on Racial Equity under the Biden administration, is also involved. She highlights the need for addressing U.S. inequality through the lens of historical racial exclusion in the economy.
Finally, economist Justin Wolfers rounds out the board, as reported by The Times.
However, the initiative has faced skepticism among some Democrats, who doubt its ability to forge a cohesive policy agenda or understand the pressing issues the party confronts. “We fell into chaos because we tried to check every box,” commented Democrat author Adam Jensonson, suggesting that a policy-driven approach often gets tangled in interest group dynamics.
“We had no policy,” said Democratic pollster Selinda Lake. “But there was no narrative to effectively convey these policies either.”
On a CNN panel, political strategist Maria Cardona recommended that the party might benefit from tactics similar to those employed by socialist Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, likening them to Trump’s strategies.
