Oct. 5, 2026
Election experts available to speak to media
TUCSON, Ariz. — Ahead of the 2026 election, University of Arizona experts are available to speak to media about political campaigns, voter behavior, key electoral trends, social movements, and national and local issues shaping the political landscape.
Lori Poloni-Staudinger
Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Professor, School of Government and Public Policy
lorips@arizona.edu
(520) 621-1112
Poloni-Staudinger's research focuses on social movements, women's political participation, political violence in Europe and the U.S., and the intersection of fashion and politics. Poloni-Staudinger has worked to increase citizen participation in politics.
Samara Klar
Melody S. Robidoux Fund Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy
klar@arizona.edu
Klar focuses on polls, polarization and voting behavior. Using experiments, surveys and statistical tools, her award-winning research has been published in top journals, including Science and American Political Science Review. She co-authored the award-winning books "Independent Politics" and "Partisan Hostility in America," and her political analyses have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other national outlets.
Thomas Volgy
Professor emeritus, School of Government and Public Policy
volgy@arizona.edu
Volgy specializes in international politics, democratic processes and domestic public policy. He served on the Tucson City Council for 10 years and was mayor of Tucson from 1987 to 1991. After leaving politics, he trained overseas government officials in democratic political development and public policy. He also worked for 20 years as the executive director of the International Studies Association.
Kate Kenski
Professor, Department of Communication
kkenski@arizona.edu
Kenski focuses on political communication and public opinion, specifically the influence of media in elections. Her recent studies explore the effects of incivility in online forums and how multimedia teaching strategies can reduce cognitive biases.
Christopher Weber
Professor, School of Government and Public Policy
chrisweber@arizona.edu
Weber specializes in political psychology and political behavior, with a focus on American political campaigns and ideology. He has research interests in political methodology, primarily experimental methods and measurement. He is the director of the Arizona Voter Project, which provides data and analysis of the voting habits of Arizona's electorate.
Frank Gonzalez
Associate professor, School of Government and Public Policy
fgonzo@arizona.edu
Gonzalez studies political psychology with a focus on political neuroscience (how the brain relates to political beliefs) and the psychology of attitudes related to race, ethnicity, class and inequality. He also studies American democracy broadly with a focus on political polarization, political tolerance, and perceptions of democracy and political violence.
Yotam Shmargad
Associate professor, School of Government and Public Policy
yotam@arizona.edu
Shmargad's areas of expertise include the intersection of social media platforms and political campaigns, particularly the role these platforms play in shaping public perception, voter mobilization and political messaging strategies. Shmargad also studies political polarization and the growing trend of incivility in public discourse.
Chad Westerland
Associate professor, School of Government and Public Policy
cwesterl@arizona.edu
Westerland researches judicial politics and political methodology, with a focus on American politics. He teaches undergraduate courses on American constitutional law, judicial process, and law and social change, as well as graduate courses on American politics and statistical methodology.
Lisa M. Sanchez
Associate professor, School of Government and Public Policy
lisasanchez@arizona.edu
Sanchez investigates ethno-racial disparities in American politics. She studies how those disparities are perpetuated and how they might be mitigated. Her work examines various aspects of politics, including Congress, identity politics, state politics, political identity, political participation, and public policy on health and immigration.
Tessa Provins
Assistant professor, School of Government and Public Policy
tessaprovins@arizona.edu
Provins' research focuses on American legislative institutions and Indigenous institutions and policy. She examines how the design of legislative bodies impacts outcomes for groups of various racial, gender and political backgrounds. Her teaching interests include American politics, race politics, gender politics and quantitative methods.
Pete Seat
Adjunct instructor, School of Government and Public Policy
pseat@arizona.edu
Seat is a former White House spokesman, nationally recognized political commentator, columnist, author, Atlantic Council Millennium Fellow and former Council on Foreign Relations term member who studies national politics.
Spencer Lindsay
Assistant professor of practice, School of Government and Public Policy
sclindsay@arizona.edu
Lindsay’s research examines public opinion, racial attitudes, and public support for democracy. His teaching focuses on American political behavior, institutions and public law.
Rita Tang
Assistant professor, Department of Communication
rongwtang3@arizona.edu
Tang studies how people encounter, evaluate and respond to contested information on social media. Her work examines how people understand, trust and develop literacy about AI, and how correction experiences relate to their beliefs, democratic attitudes and political participation.
Zicheng Chang
Assistant professor, School of Journalism
zichengcheng@arizona.edu
Cheng's research focuses on digital journalism and political communication, exploring how people consume and engage with news information on digital media and its societal and political impacts.
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Media contact:
University Communications
520-621-8747
media_requests@list.arizona.edu
Established in 1885, the University of Arizona is the state's flagship, land-grant institution. The U of A ranks among America's top institutions, focusing on student access and success while driving a $1 billion research enterprise and engaging communities throughout the state, nation and world. As a leading Research 1 institution and member of the Association of American Universities, the U of A advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships. With two accredited medical schools, designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, recognition as a premier university for service members, distinguished programs in management information systems, planetary sciences, dance, photography, and public and applied humanities, the U of A offers the world to its students while uplifting Arizona.