After a stint in the Clinton administration, she returned to Georgetown in 1995 as Research Professor of Public Policy, becoming Dean of the Institute in 1999.
She served in that administration as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Incumbent Frank Wolf (R) was expected to have an easy reelection in Northern Virginia's 10th congressional district but Feder posed a surprisingly strong challenge.
Ultimately, Feder lost to Wolf, 57.25%-40.89%, but gave him the closest challenge he had faced in 24 years (with the obvious exceptions of the 1982 and 1986 campaigns).
[2] In February 2008, CQ Politics rated Feder ninth nationally in terms of "U.S. House Candidates challenging incumbents of the opposite party who had the most cash-on-hand as of Dec.