U.S. Elections Experts

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Experts from the University of California San Diego are available for interviews and analysis of the U.S. elections.

Areas of expertise include election trust, voting behavior, political polarization, immigration, foreign policy, misinformation, media, Congress and the broader forces shaping American democracy.

Election Trust, Voting Behavior and Election Administration

Thad Kousser, Professor of Political Science; Co-Director, Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections

Expertise:  Trust in elections, election administration, state politics, public opinion, voting behavior, polling, survey research and broader trends shaping the 2026 midterms.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Seth Hill, Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Voting behavior, political participation, representation, election administration, polling, election methodology and how voters gather and use political information.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Lauren Prather, Associate Professor of Political Science, School of Global Policy and Strategy; Co-Director, Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections

Expertise: Election integrity, public trust in elections, foreign interference, election monitoring, public opinion and how election administration and communication affect confidence in democratic institutions.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Democracy and Democratic Stability 

Barbara F. Walter, Professor of International Affairs, School of Global Policy and Strategy; Rohr Chair in Pacific International Relations

Expertise: Political violence, violent extremism, domestic terrorism, civil conflict, democratic instability and the conditions that increase the risk of political violence in the United States and abroad.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Jakana Thomas, Professor, School of Global Policy and Strategy; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in International Justice and Human Rights

Expertise: Political violence, terrorism, violent organizations, conflict resolution, peace processes and gender and political violence.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Emilie Hafner-Burton, Professor, School of Global Policy and Strategy and Department of Political Science; Research Director, Future of Democracy, Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation; Peter Cowhey Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Global Policy

Expertise: Democracy and democratic representation, elections, technology and democracy, authoritarianism, international institutions and threats to democratic governance.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Congress, Political Parties and Institutions

Pamela Ban, Associate Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Congress, legislative politics, political parties, campaign strategy, interest groups, lobbying and gender and politics.

Media contact: Christine Clark

David Fortunato, Associate Professor of Political Science, School of Global Policy and Strategy

Expertise: Elections, political institutions and institutional reform, including changes to electoral systems, the legislative process, court reform, political parties and representation.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Benjamin Noble, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Congress, legislative institutions, political polarization, American political institutions and party politics.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Race, Ethnicity and the American Electorate

Marisa Abrajano, Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Latino voters, immigration politics, race and ethnicity in American politics, political communication, misinformation, public opinion and voter participation.

Media contact: Christine Clark

LaGina Gause, Associate Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Race and ethnic politics, civic engagement, political participation, protest movements, representation and inequality.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Zoltan Hajnal, Professor of Political Science, School of Global Policy and Strategy

Expertise: Racial and ethnic politics, voting rights, election administration, voter turnout, immigration, political behavior and how the timing and structure of elections shape participation and representation.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Christopher Stout, Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Black politics, race and politics, public opinion, political participation, representation and electoral behavior among underrepresented communities.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Immigration, Border Policy and U.S.-Mexico Relations

Rafael Fernández de Castro, Professor, School of Global Policy and Strategy; Aaron Feldman Family Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in U.S.-Mexican Studies; Director, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies

Expertise: U.S.-Mexico relations, Mexican politics and foreign policy, border and security issues, immigration, and how U.S. political developments affect relations with Mexico.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra

Tom Wong, Associate Professor of Political Science

Expertise: Immigration policy, border policy, ICE and immigration enforcement, federal immigration policy, Latino politics and the connection between immigration and elections.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Foreign Policy, National Security and Global Affairs

Branislav Slantchev, Professor of Political Science

Expertise:Russia, international conflict, strategic competition, war and coercion and international security.

Media contact: Christine Clark

David Lake, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science

Expertise: International relations, U.S. foreign policy, global security, international order and geopolitics.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Political Communication, Media and Misinformation

Daniel Hallin, Professor Emeritus of Communication

Expertise: Political communication, journalism, news media, media institutions, election coverage and the changing information environment.

Media contact: Christine Clark

Margaret Roberts, Professor of Political Science, School of Global Policy and Strategy and School of Social Sciences; Director, 21st Century China Center

Expertise: Artificial intelligence, digital politics, misinformation and information control, social media, U.S.-China relations and how technology and information environments shape politics and public opinion.

Media contact: Inga Kiderra or Christine Clark

Election Security

Kimberly Claffy, Scientist, San Diego Supercomputer Center

Expertise: Internet infrastructure security, network resilience and the measurement of internet shutdowns or social media blocking during elections.

Media contact: Tiffany Fox

Hovav Shacham, Professor, Computer Science

Expertise: Applied cryptography, systems security, privacy-enhancing technologies, and technology policy, including election integrity. He was part of a group of researchers that said there is no credible evidence of computer fraud in the 2020 election outcome, but that policymakers must work with experts to improve confidence in voting systems.

Media contact: Daniel Kane

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