Political Campaigning

Kristen Soltis Anderson is one of the leading pollsters and political analysts in the country. As co-founder of Echelon Insights, she specializes in applying data-driven insights to political campaigns and public policy. Her book, The Selfie Vote, examines how Millennials are reshaping American politics and how political parties can respond to changing voter dynamics. She is a frequent contributor to outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, and Politico, where she is known for her clear analysis and engaging commentary.
Anderson’s work focuses on understanding the complexities of political polarization, the effectiveness of modern campaign strategies, and emerging trends in voter behavior. She has been recognized as one of Time’s 30 Under 30 Changing the World and one of National Journal’s Most Influential Women in Washington Under 35.

Will Atkins recently retired from the Air Force as a Colonel, where he gained extensive political-military experience. He served as a Senior Advisor to Afghan President Ghani during critical moments leading up to the withdrawal of American forces. Will also taught political science at the U.S. Air Force Academy for six years. Now based in Tampa, he works on Democratic campaigns, including serving as a regional organizer for Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, and remains engaged in local politics. He has a wife and 12-year old daughter, and remains active in Tampa politics.

Sharon Wright Austin, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, specializes in African-American political behavior, focusing on women, mayoral elections, and grassroots activism. She has authored influential works such as The Transformation of Plantation Politics in the Mississippi Delta and The Caribbeanization of Black Politics and recently edited Political Black Girl Magic: The Elections and Governance of Black Female Mayors. Her research examines race, power, and participation in American politics, and she has served on the editorial team for the American Political Science Review. Sharon’s work highlights the evolving dynamics of Black political leadership.

Tom Bonier is a veteran Democratic political strategist and Senior Advisor to TargetSmart. He co-founded Clarity Campaign Labs in 2012, helping it become a leading Democratic analytics firm. With over 20 years of experience in progressive politics, Bonier previously served as COO at the National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC). He has received numerous awards for his work in political campaigning, redistricting, and strategic planning and has appeared in major media outlets like The New York Times and NPR.

Janet Coats is a journalism leader with 25 years’ experience, having directed major newsrooms, advanced civic engagement strategies, and consulted on media sustainability. She formerly led innovation at ASU’s Cronkite School and ran a consulting firm specializing in community engagement and nonprofit media strategies. Coats is recognized for shaping modern information culture.

Michael D. Cohen, Ph.D., is CEO of Cohen Research Group, a leading political, public affairs, and corporate research firm. He publishes the award-winning Congress in Your Pocket suite of AI-driven mobile apps and teaches digital strategy and political campaigning at Johns Hopkins University and New York University. Cohen is the author of Modern Political Campaigns (2021) and will release a second edition in 2025. A three-time graduate of the University of Florida, he holds degrees in political science and mass communication and was inducted into UF’s Leadership Hall of Fame.

Nikki Fried served as Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture from 2019 to 2023. A University of Florida graduate, she holds a J.D. from UF Levin College of Law, an M.A. in Political Campaigning, and a B.A. in Political Science. Nikki is a member of the UF Hall of Fame and Florida Blue Key. She serves on the UF Levin College of Law Board of Trustees and has previously served as Student Body President and on the UF Board of Trustees. Nikki is currently the Chair of the Florida Democratic Party.

Samantha Greer is the founder of SG Consulting, leveraging her expertise in government and community systems to help organizations maximize their impact. With a background in political and issue-based campaigns, she has built a reputation as a strategic connector and advocate in Florida politics. She has held key leadership roles, including Director of Government Relations at the University of Florida, Vice President at the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, and partner at Corcoran Partners, where she guided clients through advocacy, appropriations, and regulatory challenges. Passionate about service, Samantha actively supports women’s empowerment through leadership roles in the Junior League and the Pace Center for Girls. She lives in Tampa with her husband and son and is an engaged member of her community.  .

Sen. Joe Gruters was elected to the Florida Senate in 2018, representing Sarasota County and part of Charlotte County (District 22). He served as Chairman of the Florida Republican Party from 2018 to 2022 and previously served in the Florida House of Representatives. Earlier in his career, Gruters worked as campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, and chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota. He holds a B.S. from Florida State University and an M.B.A. from the University of South Florida.

William Inboden is Professor and Director of the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida and Peterson Senior Fellow at the Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins. He previously served as Executive Director of the Clements Center for National Security and Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Inboden also holds roles with the National Intelligence Council, CIA Historical Advisory Panel, U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, and the Trinity Forum.

Matt Jacobs a UF history professor and director of the Bob Graham Center, specializes in U.S.-Middle East relations. Author of Imagining the Middle East and a forthcoming book on the Arab Spring, he teaches courses on foreign relations, the Vietnam War, and international studies while shaping public service leadership.

Susan MacManus is a Distinguished University Professor at USF in the Department of Government and International Affairs. For six election cycles, she has served as a political analyst for WFLA News Channel 8 and has been a columnist for sayfiereview.com since 2008. MacManus appeared as a panelist on WFLA TV’s Road to the White House, which was nominated for a Suncoast Emmy. She is Florida’s most-quoted political scientist and has appeared on major TV, radio, and in major newspapers both locally and internationally.

Michael Martinez is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, specializing in electoral behavior and public opinion. He is coeditor of Ambivalence, Politics, and Public Policy and has published research on voter turnout, partisanship, and voting behavior in journals such as Journal of Politics and American Journal of Political Science. Martinez has received research support from the Canadian Embassy and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Calgary. He has co-authored articles with several graduate students, including the University of Louisville’s Jason Gainous and Stetson University’s David Hill.

Michael P. McDonald is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. He earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Caltech and his Ph.D. in Political Science from UC San Diego. Before joining UF, he held positions at the University of Illinois, Springfield, George Mason University, and the Brookings Institution. McDonald, an expert on American elections, is the author of From Pandemic to Insurrection: Voting in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election and has worked with ABC, NBC, AP, and the national exit polling organization.

Ansley T. Mendelson is an award-winning political strategist specializing in direct mail. A Georgia native, she is committed to electing more women and people of color, expanding voting access, and flipping legislative seats from Red to Blue. Her full-service campaigns focus on Election Day victories and building lasting success for clients. In 2024, she won “Best Mail Piece – Overall” from Campaigns and Elections magazine. Ansley earned her MA in Political Science from the University of Florida and lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Joel, and their dog, Murphy.

Joel Mendelson, a graduate of UF’s Political Campaigning program (M.A. 2015), is Director at New Heights Communications in Washington, D.C. He helps nonprofits, campaigns, and individuals craft strategic communications plans, focusing on earned, owned, and paid media. With experience in various campaign roles and three years working in the Georgia General Assembly, Joel has published nearly 100 op-eds. He earned his B.S. from Kennesaw State University (2010). Joel is married to Ansley Mendelson, and they enjoy SEC sports and keeping up with their dog, Murphy, in Northern Virginia.

Patricia Mitchell, Director of Research and Targeting at BullsEye Public Affairs, has expanded the firm’s client reach to over 25 states, earning multiple Pollie Awards. A Tampa native, she oversees strategic messaging and political communications. Mitchell holds a UF master’s in Political Science and is based at BullsEye’s Tampa office.

Alex Patton is the managing partner of Ozean Media, a political affairs firm specializing in strategic consulting through research, data, messaging, and media. He has founded and successfully exited two political polling firms. A double Gator, Alex graduated from the University of Florida’s Political Campaigning Program and served as Student Body President. He is a member of Florida Blue Key and is known for his candid communication and competitive spirit.

Cassidy Reller earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego. His research focuses on American political institutions, particularly political parties, legislative politics, state politics, electoral rules, and immigration. His dissertation explores how minor parties use electoral threats to secure ideological concessions from major parties. His work has been published in Electoral Studies, The Journal of Politics, Party Politics, and Publius.

Suzanne M. Robbins is Director of the Political Science MA Certificate Program in Political Campaigning and Associate Instructional Professor of Political Science. She earned her Ph.D. from the State University of New York, Stony Brook. She teaches courses in campaign finance, money and politics, interest groups and lobbying, and data analysis.

Tom Rooney is the President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), a position he has held since October 2021. Before leading the NTRA, Rooney served as a U.S. Representative from Florida from 2009 to 2019. He holds a B.A. in English Literature from Washington & Jefferson College, an M.A. in Political Campaigning from UF, and a J.D. from the University of Miami. Rooney also served in the U.S. Army JAG Corps and taught at West Point.

Steve Schale is a seasoned strategist with 26 years of experience in Florida politics, specializing in political campaigns, communications, and government relations. He played key roles in three presidential campaigns, including directing the historic 2008 Obama/Biden Florida operation and serving as a senior advisor for the 2012 reelection. In 2020, Steve led Unite the Country, a pro-Biden SuperPAC, earning accolades for its general election strategies. Currently, he advises clients like Disney and AT&T through The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners.

Elizabeth Sena has over two decades of experience in political, public affairs, and strategic communications polling. As a partner at GQR and Managing Director of GQR Canada, she provides research-driven strategic advice to political campaigns, companies, and public affairs groups. Her clients include Governor Katie Hobbs, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, Senate Majority PAC, DCCC, SEIU, and Unite the Country. Elizabeth holds an Honors B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, an M.A. in Political Campaigning from the University of Florida, and has completed Ph.D. coursework at Carleton University.

Matthew Uttermark is an Assistant Professor of American Politics at the University of Florida. He studies federalism, public policy, and state politics. His research has been published in Public Administration Review, Policy Studies Journal, Social Forces, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Publius: The Journal of Federalism, among others.  He holds a PhD in political science from Florida State University.

Andrew Wiggins, Florida Chamber Senior Director for Political Affairs, manages statewide campaign activity and coalitions. A 1998 UF Political Campaigning graduate, he’s guided numerous candidates to office, including major U.S. races. Wiggins’ career spans nearly 30 years, including with Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral campaign, George W. Bush’s presidential campaign and various U.S. Senate and Congressional races.

David Jay Wolfson is a national pollster and faculty lecturer in Columbia University’s Political Analytics Graduate Program. As Managing Partner at DecipherAi, a global research firm specializing in predictive analytics, he led the first known representative social issues survey in Mainland China. A former political consultant in Florida, he also taught campaign management at the University of Florida. David holds a B.A. from UC San Diego and an MBA from Michigan State University.