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Searchlight Institute
Named afterSearchlight, Nevada, the birthplace of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
FormationSeptember 16, 2025; 8 months ago (2025-09-16)
FounderAdam Jentleson
TypePublic policy think tank
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., U.S.
President
Adam Jentleson
Staff12

The Searchlight Institute is a public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.[1] It was founded in 2025 by Democratic Party strategist Adam Jentleson. It aims to build out centrist stances for the party.[2][3][4][5]

The organization advocates for out-of-the-box thinking, described by Jentleson as heterodoxy,[6][7][8] in liberal and Democratic public policymaking.[9] In 2025, Searchlight published research suggesting that Democrats should avoid campaigning on climate change[10][11][12][13] and be more willing to "embrace positions from different ideologies."[14]

In 2026, Searchlight has distributed policy recommendations and polling regarding transgender rights and social acceptance,[15] illegal immigration and U.S.-Mexico border security,[16][17] grid modernization,[18][19] and the U.S. health care system.[20] The group advocates against abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement[21][22] (ICE) and opposes proposals for a federal moratorium on the construction of new AI data centers.

Among its publications, Searchlight has proposed "free primary care for all,"[20] stronger unemployment and workforce benefits such as job training,[23] a public option for health insurance,[20] restricting asylum in the United States,[24][16] and a cash rebate for homeowners and renters intended to incentivize new housing construction in regions with a high cost of living.[25]

Ahead of the 2026 federal government shutdowns, The Washington Post reported that "leaders have in private been pointing to recent memos from Searchlight" urging Democrats in the United States Senate to use their leverage in funding negations over the Department of Homeland Security and impose reforms for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.[26]

The organization launched Tech Viaduct,[27] a planning project reportedly sourcing policy ideas and personnel to counter the impact of the Trump Administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in January of 2026.[28][29]

Key people

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Searchlight's associated policy fellows and advisors to its projects have included:[30][31][32]

References

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  1. ^ "Can a New Think Tank Fix What's Wrong With The Democratic Party?". POLITICO. 2025-06-25.
  2. ^ "New think tank 'Searchlight' pushes Democrats toward more popular positions". POLITICO. June 3, 2025.
  3. ^ Epstein, Reid J. (September 17, 2025). "A New Democratic Think Tank Wants to Curb the Influence of Liberal Groups" – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ Robinson, Nathan J. (September 25, 2025). "The Latest Democratic Idea: Having Fewer Ideas" – via Current Affairs.
  5. ^ "New Democrat think tank aims to make party take more centrist stances - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com.
  6. ^ Godfrey, Elaine (2025-10-14). "The Democrats' Heterodoxy Problem". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  7. ^ Jentleson, Adam (2024-11-16). "Opinion | When Will Democrats Learn to Say No?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  8. ^ Weigel, David. "A Democrat goes to war on progressive groups". Semafor. Archived from the original on 2026-05-06.
  9. ^ Rosenfeld, Sam; Schlozman, Daniel (2026-04-08). "Opinion | Democrats Should Try Being an Actual Political Party Again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  10. ^ "The First Rule About Solving Climate Change". Searchlight Institute. 2025-09-22.
  11. ^ Osaka, Shannon; Crowe, Kevin (2025-11-10). "The big issue Democrats have stopped talking about". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  12. ^ Yoder, Kate (2025-10-21). "Why Democrats aren't talking about climate change much anymore". Grist.
  13. ^ Brugger, Amelia Davidson, Kelsey (2026-01-23). "Sheldon Whitehouse takes on 'climate hushers' in the Democratic Party". E&E News by POLITICO.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Our Mission: To Spark A Realignment". Searchlight Institute. 2025-09-17.
  15. ^ a b Hamby, Peter (2026-03-25). "The Democrats' Trans Trap". Puck.
  16. ^ a b Burns, Dasha (2026-01-28). "How Dems should talk about immigration". POLITICO.
  17. ^ Medina, Jennifer (2026-01-15). "Abolish ICE? It's a Slogan Some Democratic Critics of ICE Would Abolish". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  18. ^ Sadasivam, Naveena (2026-04-06). "Data centers are straining the grid. Can they be forced to pay for it?". Grist. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  19. ^ "Someone Has to Invest in the Grid. Why Not Data Centers? - Heatmap News". heatmap.news.
  20. ^ a b c "Free primary care for all: Democratic think tank pushes the party on new health policy". NBC News. 2026-05-15.
  21. ^ Abutaleb, Yasmeen; Sotomayor, Marianna; Meyer, Theodoric (2026-01-31). "Democrats want to 'reimagine' immigration enforcement. Just don't say 'abolish ICE.'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  22. ^ Egan, Lauren. "Dems Are Begging Their Own to Drop 'Abolish ICE'". www.thebulwark.com. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  23. ^ "Lost in Transition: How Trade Adjustment Assistance came up short (and where it succeeded)". Searchlight Institute. 2026-04-06.
  24. ^ "No More Back Doors: Recapturing the Public's Trust on Immigration". Searchlight Institute. 2026-03-23.
  25. ^ Klein, Ezra (2025-11-23). "Opinion | America's Housing Crisis, in One Chart". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  26. ^ Abutaleb, Yasmeen; Sotomayor, Marianna; Meyer, Theodoric (2026-01-31). "Democrats want to 'reimagine' immigration enforcement. Just don't say 'abolish ICE.'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  27. ^ Schwarz, Hunter (2026-01-21). "Inside the ambitious plan to undo DOGE's damage". Fast Company.
  28. ^ a b c d e Levy, Steven. "Former USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What DOGE Broke". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028.
  29. ^ Alms, Natalie (2026-02-27). "These former government tech leaders are prepping day-one plans for a future administration". Nextgov.com.
  30. ^ "About". Searchlight Institute.
  31. ^ a b "Fellowship". Searchlight Institute.
  32. ^ "Tech Viaduct". Searchlight Institute.
  33. ^ Wimbish, Whitney Curry (2026-01-19). "Author of 'Don't Say Abolish ICE' Memo Is a Corporate Consultant". The American Prospect. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  34. ^ Klein, Ezra; Galvin, Annie (2026-04-28). "Opinion | What Worries Me Most About 'Abundance'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
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