Moderates are having a moment (with Lanae Erickson)

Moderate Party

In this episode, Hillari sits down with Lanae Erickson of Third Way to make sense of a political moment that feels chaotic, confusing, and—somehow—full of opportunity. Together, they unpack the blowout victories of moderates like Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, the progressive shockwave in New York City, and the shutdown fight that left Democrats divided and frustrated.

It’s a conversation about what voters are actually demanding—calm over chaos, strength without theatrics, and leaders who talk about the cost of living in plain English. Lanae brings new data and candid insight into how moderates can win (and govern), why the center-left keeps underestimating its own appeal, and what the Democratic Party needs to rethink before 2026 and 2028.

From gender dynamics to electability, from the moderate “training montage” to the politics of belief, this episode cuts through the noise and delivers the kind of clarity you rarely hear in the post-2025 fog.

If you care about where Democrats go next—and what it will take to actually build a governing majority—this is the conversation you’ll want to hear.

Links:

• Third Way Moderate Power Project