Jim Hobart | Behind the Math of Polling

Wesley Donehue Podcast

Join us for an insightful journey into the world of politics with Jim Hobart. 🌟

🕵️ Pursuing His Passion: Learn how Jim's early interest in politics ignited his career, from volunteering on Jim Whitehead's U.S. House special election campaign to kickstarting his journey in politics.

🏃‍♂️ The Campaign Grind: Discover Jim's top advice for aspiring politicos, as he emphasizes the importance of grassroots involvement and the invaluable lessons learned from diving into unpaid campaign work.

📊 The Pulse of Polling: Delve into the evolution of polling methodologies with Jim, as he reflects on his 17-year tenure at Political Opinion Strategies and discusses adapting to the digital era's advancements in reaching diverse segments of the electorate while attention spans are collapsing.

📈 The Social-Political Heartbeat: Explore the efficacy of "social listening" as a dynamic tool for gauging public sentiment, as we discuss its relevance in today's political landscape.

🎨 Not Just Numbers: Uncover the artistry behind political polling as Jim underscores the importance of messaging and narrative crafting in shaping successful surveys, transcending mere data crunching.

Tune in as we unravel the intricate tapestry of political polling and campaign strategy! 🎙️
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Jim Hobart is a Partner at Public Opinion Strategies. Jim has been a part of the polling team in some of the most competitive and important elections in the country and has received the prestigious Rising Star Award from Campaign and Elections Magazine.

During the most recent election cycle, Jim polled for Governor Greg Abbott’s resounding victory over Beto O’Rourke. He also polled for the primary SuperPAC backing J.D. Vance in the Ohio Senate race, which has been credited with propelling Vance to victory. Jim has now polled for the leading SuperPAC for four dierent U.S. Senators. Jim was also a part of the research eort for Governor Mike Dunleavy in Alaska, as well as five winning local ballot initiatives in Illinois. In 2020, Jim polled for the largest independent expenditure eort backing Roger Marshall in the Kansas Senate primary and general elections, helping Marshall take both races from nail-biters to resounding victories. He also polled for successful outside eorts in four winning Congressional campaigns and for the campaign on seven successful local ballot initiatives. Jim was also involved in research eorts for major Senate races in Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan. In 2018, Jim polled for Governor Brian Kemp’s come-from-behind wins in both the primary and general elections in Georgia. Kemp shocked political observers by first defeating heavy favorite Casey Cagle in the primary, and then topping 50% to triumph over Stacey Abrams without a runo. In polling conducted for the NRSC in 2018, Jim was the first pollster in the country to correctly show Heidi Heitkamp was a clear underdog to then Congressman Kevin Cramer. Cramer would go on to defeat Heitkamp by eleven points. Jim is also an accomplished focus group moderator, having moderated more than 200 groups throughout the country. He regularly appears on NPR, CNN, HillTV, and the BBC to oer political analysis.

Jim and his wife Megan live in Alexandria with their daughter Ellie and dog Riley.