Full Breakdown
Third Way Mobilizes $15 Million Campaign Against Progressive Democrats
8/12/2026, 1:16:38 AM
Core Event
Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank, has launched a $15 million effort to counter the growing influence of progressive candidates who support Medicare for All and other left-leaning policies. The campaign, slated to run through 2028, targets elected officials and primary challengers in swing states.
Background & Context
Founded in 2005 by former Democratic staffers, Third Way positions itself as a “democratic-capitalist” alternative to the party’s progressive wing. The group has a long record of opposing single-payer health reform, favoring market-based solutions instead. Recent primary victories by progressive figures—most notably Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s win in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary—prompted Third Way to accelerate its defensive strategy.
Data & Statistics
- Better Solutions for Healthcare (BSFH) – an industry coalition that includes the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and the health-insurance trade group AHIP – contributed $50,000 to Third Way’s advocacy arm in 2024, according to tax-filing analysis by investigative reporter David Moore.
- Business Roundtable (BRT) – a CEO collective whose health-insurance members include UnitedHealth, Cigna, Elevance (formerly Anthem), CVS Health, Centene and several large pharmaceutical firms – donated $50,000 in 2024, up from $25,000 in 2023 and down from $75,000 in 2022.
- Additional disclosed donors include CVS Health and Johnson & Johnson.
All of these contributions were identified through corporate tax filings; Third Way does not publicly disclose its donors.
Official Statements & Responses
Jonathan Cowan, president of Third Way, said the organization is “deeply troubled” by the success of candidates advocating Medicare for All and emphasized that the group will “target” such candidates as part of its broader centrist agenda.
Criticism & Opposition
Journalist Adam Johnson criticized mainstream coverage of the campaign, arguing that major outlets have failed to investigate the organization’s funding sources. He wrote:
“Journalists are, in principle, supposed to do what David did here: investigate ulterior motives, follow the money, dig deeper,” — Adam Johnson, journalist
Daily Kos highlighted the contrast between Third Way’s self-description as a centrist group and the “star-wars cantina of billionaire megadonors” that finances its operations, labeling the organization a “Trojan horse for corporate America.”
Verbatim Quotes
“We are preparing for the next war that is coming,” — Jonathan Cowan. Cowan, third way president
“Journalists are, in principle, supposed to do what David did here: investigate ulterior motives, follow the money, dig deeper,” — Adam Johnson, journalist
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The disclosed donation figures are based on a single set of tax filings reviewed by David Moore; no independent audit of Third Way’s full donor list has been released, leaving the total amount of corporate support uncertain.
What’s Next
Third Way’s $15 million campaign is scheduled to continue through 2028, with planned media outreach and targeted advertising aimed at undermining progressive candidates in upcoming primary contests. No additional future milestones have been publicly announced.
