News, events, advocacy opportunities, and commentary from the Center for New Liberalism

Continuing more of our website updates from last month, we've added a new page to the CNL website, featuring all of our ongoing  advocacy campaigns nationally and at the state level. 

Take a few minutes to check out what our chapters are working on right now, and send a letter to your elected officials!

We’re excited to kick off our 2025 endorsements with two incredible candidates! 

Isaiah Martin is running for TX-18, and he’s exactly the kind of fresh, pragmatic voice we need in Congress—focused on real, pro-growth solutions. 

We’re also backing Kevin Schilling for State Rep in WA’s 33rd LD. As Mayor of Burien, Kevin’s been a strong advocate for economic mobility and innovation—we’re excited to see him bring that leadership to Olympia. 

Congratulations to the winner of the 2025 Shill Bracket: @CartoonsHateHer! We raised over $13,000 for the Against Malaria Foundation during this campaign. Thank you to everyone who donated!

The Hill | Democrats lost the immigration high ground. For what?
By Colin Mortimer, Director of CNL | March 15 
“But Democrats, in opposing President Trump’s cruel immigration policies, ended up reflexively adopting a politically disastrous agenda of their own. They coupled a reasonable stance on legal and humanitarian immigration with border policies that voters found deeply unpopular. The resulting loss of credibility cost Democrats the political capital needed to do anything truly meaningful on immigration.” 

NOTUS | Democrats are Putting Pressure on Roy Cooper to Run for Senate in North Carolina
Ft. Matt Hughes, CNL Steering Committee Member | March 19 
“It’s always nice to think of another possible candidate out there, but all of the people I know really want Cooper,” Matt Hughes, a Democratic National Committee member from North Carolina, told NOTUS. “He is not only the strongest Democrat who can win, he is the strongest candidate of either party who can win.”

Unherd | Can ‘abundance liberalism’ save the Dems?
Ft. Colin Mortimer, Director of CNL | March 19
"“The degree that we can make this a cross-partisan, bipartisan issue, we think that’s fantastic, and it’s going to be all the more reason why this movement can be effective”, Mortimer told me."

The Dispatch | Democrats Need to Dig Deep
By Jeremiah Johnson, CNL Co-Founder | March 26
"Democrats didn’t lose in 2024 because they needed to do more outreach to disadvantaged communities or interest groups. Nor were they a few podcast appearances or viral stunts away from victory. They lost because voters could tell that over the course of several years, the party drifted far out of line with the public on a number of highly salient issues."

NYT Opinion | Who Needs Free Trade When You Can Raise Your Own Chickens?
Ft. Jeremiah Johnson, Co-Founder of CNL | April 10 
“In a piece at The xxxxxx, Jeremiah Johnson, a co-founder of the Center for New Liberalism, writes, “Measures as varied as infant mortality rates, day-to-day happiness, academic achievement and human freedom are all correlated strongly with G.D.P.”

FFXNow | Potential Reston developers face mostly distrustful community at packed meeting 
Ft. Karl Nielsen, DMV New Liberals | April 14
"“You cannot be progressive and be exclusionary at the same time. Those are inherently antithetical, and you do not see a bigger divide about that than when it comes to issues of housing,” Nielsen said."

Creating Abundance Ft. Derek Thompson

How can we build a more abundant world without scarcity in housing, energy, and more? Derek Thompson joins the podcast to discuss his and Ezra Klein's new book Abundance. We talk about the policies and the politics involved in abundance, how to spark more innovation in the economy, and why we desperately need the abundance movement.

Why Class Matters Ft. Richard Kahlenberg

For decades, America used a system of race-based affirmative action to ensure that disadvantaged minority groups had a presence at elite universities. Was that the right approach? Richard Kahlenberg joins the podcast to talk about his book 'Class Matters', and make the case that class-based affirmative action is a superior way to get real diversity on campus.

Saving Medicaid Ft. Congressman Ritchie Torres

The Republican Party is promoting a budget resolution that would cut almost a trillion dollars from Medicaid. Congressman Ritchie Torres joins the show to discuss what impact this would have on Medicaid's almost 100 million users, why Medicaid is a bipartisan issue, and how we can focus public debate away from the scandal of the moment and onto saving programs like Medicaid from severe cuts.

Are We Sleepwalking Into A Budget Crisis? Ft. Jessica Riedl and Ben Ritz

The national debt is enormous and still growing. And the Republican Party's proposed 2025 budget would increase it even further. Are we slowly walking into a crisis? Jessica Riedl and Ben Ritz join the podcast to discuss the state of the US government's budget, how bad things could get, and what we need to do to fix it.

The Tragedy of Tariffs

Trump's tariffs are sinking the American economy and have sent markets spiraling downwards. What is Trump's supposed master plan? Why is the right now so obsessed with tariffs now, and what impact is this going to have on regular families and workers? Jeremiah breaks down what's happening and where we go from here.

For only $5 a month, you can join our growing movement to create a Democratic Party that offers commonsense policy solutions and embodies the values of liberalism.

Being a CNL member supports our work through events and builds community with people from across the country and overseas who share your vision for our future.

Join CNL today!

If you aren’t already involved, we encourage you to get more involved with your local CNL chapter, and consider joining their leadership team! Not sure if you have a chapter in your area? Check out the chapter map on our website to find out, and sign up for email updates from your local chapter!