Polling is more difficult than ever, particularly in a city as complicated and diverse as New York. Adam Carlson, founding partner at Zenith Research, joins us to discuss how he conducted a detailed poll of the New York City mayor’s race and how he views the state of that race now. We also get his take on the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races as well as Prop 50 in California and take a peek at 2026.
Host David Beard and guest host Joe Sudbay discuss the current moves to gerrymander Kansas and how that might launch a serious Democratic challenger into the Senate race there. They also discuss the Wisconsin governor’s race, where a hardline conservative Republican has jumped in and the D.C. delegate race, where Eleanor Holmes Norton has her first serious challenger in years.
How to poll diverse communities
Adam Carlson talks polling do's and don'ts and discusses his thoughts on the big 2025 races
Sep 25, 2025
The Downballot
The Downballot podcast is dedicated to the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council. With more than 20 years of experience analyzing U.S. elections, we provide unparalleled insight into congressional, state, and local races nationwide. Tune in every Thursday morning for one-of-a-kind coverage of these key contests.
The Downballot podcast is dedicated to the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council. With more than 20 years of experience analyzing U.S. elections, we provide unparalleled insight into congressional, state, and local races nationwide. Tune in every Thursday morning for one-of-a-kind coverage of these key contests.Listen on
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