Political Campaigning

UF Political Science Professor Dan Smith was awarded the Career Achievement Award by the State Politics & Policy Section of the APSA for 2026. The award recognizes a political scientist who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the study ...

Ansley Tuten Mendelson (MA PC  15) was recognized as one of the American Association of Political Consultants’ “40 Under 40,” an award honoring rising leaders across the political profession, including media, advertising, polling, and public affairs. Recipients are selected for ...

Jonathan Ramsey (MA PC 2009) has been appointed to the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court. Previously serving as an Alachua County judge, Ramsey was elevated by Governor Ron DeSantis to fill a circuit court vacancy, marking a significant step in his ...

A February 2026 Miami Herald article on Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race cites Sharon Wright Austin, who notes that race remains a significant factor in voter behavior. She suggests that candidates may face limits in expanding their support across racial groups, ...

Congratulations to UF Political Science doctoral student Maxwell Clarke and UF Professors Michael P. McDonald and Dan Smith on the publication of their research, “Florida’s Democracy Deserts: Patterns of Contestation and Cancellation of Florida Local Elections” in the Election Law Journal. This ...

On December 12, 2025, the UF Political Campaigning program made a strong showing at the University of Florida Community Relations EyeOpener Luncheon, with students Ryan Lang-Antonopoulos and Parker Robinson joining faculty members Professors Robbins and Austin for the occasion. The luncheon ...

UF Political Campaigning is proud to recognize two outstanding students whose work exemplifies the values at the heart of this program. The Walter Skip Campbell Award honors the memory of Walter Skip Campbell, a UF alumnus (BA 1970, JD 1973) who ...

On April 15-16, ten of our political campaigners journeyed west to Tallahassee for our very own “Gator Day”.  We met with alumni at a reception the evening before.  The next day was filled with shadowing members of the House and ...

On February 4, 2025 we had the Forum ‘2024 & Beyond: Insights and the Future of Campaigning’ and here’s some pictures   Read more "Forum 2025 Gallery of Images"

Read about our 2024 newsletter Read more "2024 Newsletter"

7 September 2022. New York Times. Michael Wines, quoting Professor Daniel Smith. Read more "In Voter Fraud, Penalties Often Depend on Who’s Voting"

2 September 2022.WPTV. Katie LaGrone, featuring Professor Daniel Smith. Read more "Many questions, few answers about new Florida office that arrested ex-felons for illegal voting."

24 July 2022. The Conversation. Narrelle Gilcrisht (Ph.D. student, Princeton University), Sebastian Elischer (Associate Professor, UF), Amanda Edgell (Assistant Professor, University of Alabama/UF Ph.D., 2019) Read more "Kenya’s young voters have a dilemma: they dislike ethnic politics but feel trapped in ...

(opinion) 20 July 2022. Florida Political Journal. Gabriel Morrero, quoting Professor Stephen C. Craig. Read more "DeSantis v. Newsom: 2024 Showdown?"

25 April 2022. Samuel Proctor Oral History Program Webinar (youtube video). Allison Mitchell, featuring Professor Sharon Wright Austin. Read more "Battle for the Ballot: The Struggle for Voting Rights in Florida"

7 October 2021. Tampa Bay Times. Michael P. McDonald & Daniel A. Smith, Professors, UF (Op-Ed/Guest Column) Read more "What is the Florida legislature hiding on redistricting?"

23 April 2021. WUFT/NPR. Victoria Someillan, quoting Professor Michael P. McDonald. Read more "Here’s What The Release Of The 2020 Census Results Will Mean For Florida Redistricting, Federal Funding"

November 2020. Haaretz News. Danielle Ziri, quoting Professor Beth Rosenson. (paywall) Read more "In Florida, Trump got more Jewish votes than anywhere else."

The Boston Globe. James Pindell, quoting Professor Beth Rosenson. Read more "Florida’s primary is up next. It’s where Biden has been the strongest all year and where Sanders has been the weakest."

David Mica, adjunct professor and Executive Director of the Florida Petroleum Council, led a seminar in state lobbying which culminated in a trip to Tallahassee for the Political Campaigning students. The biennial trip provided the students with great insight into the ...

CLAS reception atop the Willard Office Building (law offices of Tad Davis), American Political Science Association meetings 2019 in Washington, D.C. Read more "Reception at APSA"

Read more "2019 Newsletter"

29 October 2018. The Conversation. Suzanne Robbins, Assistant Instructional Professor, University of Florida. Read more "Money in elections doesn’t mean what you think it does"

The University of Florida’s Graduate Program in Political Campaigning is a two-year program of study leading to a Master of Arts degree in political science, with a certificate attesting to the specialization in campaigning. Our program is designed to provide students ...

Read more "2018 Newsletter"

19 April 2017. The Conversation. Beth Rosenson, Associate Professor, University of Florida. Read more "Explainer: The Trumps’ conflict of interest issues"

Read more "2017 Newsletter"

The annual Spring Reflections and Projections Workshop took place in January at the Hilton Hotel. There were two panels of noted academics, journalists, and political consultants that led a discussion on the implications of the 2018 election and forecasting what ...

Read more "2016 Newsletter"

Read more "2015 Newsletter"

Read more "2014 Newsletter"

To the right: Campaigning students with top Washington lobbyist and Republican strategist Charlie Black in September 2012. We seek students with both political acumen and a high level of academic achievement who are likely to succeed in a rigorous graduate ...