Biography

Every four years, J. Ann Selzer is the “it” pollster of American politics, living political polling and coverage from the inside out. She offers audiences a host of behind-the-scenes stories at the intersection of politics and journalism. Her polls have repeatedly taken heat for being “outliers,” “out of sync with other polling done” or “at odds with history”—in essence, to be ignored. Time and again, her polls stood alone as the best measure of what happened on Election Day. Her talking points cover not just Iowa and other states where she has polled, but the national scene in general.

One of the top-ranked and best-respected pollsters in the United States, Selzer offers insight into politics and polling without partisan bias. Her data-driven analyses and interpretations make an ideal fit for audiences interested in why things in the political world are playing out the way they are. She illuminates what can seem like a technical mush to novices by breaking down the complexities of polling into everyday stories and illustrations. Several news organizations repeatedly seek her commentary when news events seem to change the rules of the game. Her presentations are always thoughtful—and thought-provoking—and often playful and fun.

She is routinely referred to as the “gold standard” of polling and “the oracle of Iowa,” though some elevate her to royalty: “Queen Ann,” the “Princess of Polling” and the “Duchess of Data.” Influential website FiveThirtyEight.com (run by Nate Silver) titled their profile “Ann Selzer is the Best Pollster in Politics.”