Study Group with Betsy Ankney

The Swing Voters: Who Are They, Where Are They, and How Will They Impact The Election?

The 2020 election was decided by less than 100,000 votes in four states. A slight shift among key demographics in Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Nevada would have changed the outcome of the election. Who and where are these pockets of voters in 2024, and what do they care about?

GUEST: John Anzalone, one of the nation's top pollsters and strategists, founder of Impact Research, and current IOP Resident Fellow, will join Resident Fellow Betsy Ankney in-person for the October 23 session.

John Anzalone is one of the nation's top pollsters and messaging strategists. He has spent decades working on some of the toughest political campaigns in modern history and helping private-sector clients navigate complex challenges.

John has polled for the past four presidential races, most recently serving as chief pollster for President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign. In that role, he helped develop the messaging and strategy that drove paid communications, major policy rollouts, speeches, and convention thematics. John also polled for the campaigns of President Obama and Hillary Clinton, and he has helped elect U.S. senators, governors, and dozens of members of Congress.

John works with governors across the country, including current Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI) and Roy Cooper (NC). Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA), the Caucus Chair of the House, is also a client.

John polls regularly for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Senate Majority PAC, and AARP.

With more than 30 years of experience in message development and strategic execution, John has been called on by key decision-makers, executives, and CEOs to provide counsel in a changing world and marketplace. He has extensive experience using research and data to break down complex subjects into digestible messages that resonate with target audiences.

John grew up in St. Joseph, Michigan, and graduated from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. John is married and has four children, two dogs, and lives in Watercolor, Florida. He roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Chicago Cubs.

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.