The Mellman Group Named “Pollster Of The Year” By The American Association Of Political Consultants

We are proud to announce that The Mellman Group, Inc. was named “Pollster of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants, for designing and executing a research program that ultimately helped lead to the passage of stricter fuel economy standards (CAFE) after a 25-year struggle. The Pollie awards—the AAPC’s Oscars–were announced at the Association’s Annual Conference Saturday night in Santa Monica, California before an audience of over 400 top consultants from across the country.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid offered his congratulations in a letter, noting that “The hard work of the Mellman Group was a critical part of our successful efforts.” Reid praised the firm saying “armed with authoritative data, you developed a persuasive message and an effective plan to spread that message, both inside and outside the beltway…Your work did more than provide Democrats with a political victory. It set America on a path toward a cleaner, safer future and a path towards energy independence.”

Firm President Mark Mellman and Executive Vice President Michael Bloomfield accepted the award thanking the Mellman Group’s team of outstanding professionals as well as our partners in this effort, including the National Environmental Trust, Securing America’s Future Energy, Public Opinion Strategies and Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates.

Most often public policy campaigns use polling in a very simple way-circulating polls demonstrating that most voters support their point of view. Instead of taking this simplistic path, The Mellman Group was recognized for approaching the polling assignment in a strategic way, defusing opponents’ arguments, linking CAFE to other salient issues like national security and gas prices, and finally finding a trump card to overcome the inertia that often makes controversial legislation difficult to pass.

In addition to receiving Pollster of the Year honors, Mellman was invited to present the firm’s exciting new work on word-of-mouth in politics, which was featured in the New York Times, and to sit on the prestigious panel discussing this year’s Presidential election.

CAFE is the latest victory for The Mellman Group, which has provided sophisticated opinion research and strategic advice to leading public interest organizations, government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, foundations, and political leaders for over twenty-five years. The Mellman Group specializes in weaving together disparate data to provide critical insights that guide strategy.

The Mellman Group counts among its clients the Majority Leaders of both the U.S. Senate and House (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer). We have helped elect sixteen other U.S. Senators, over two dozen House members, eight governors and several mayors, while also winning key initiative campaigns around the country. The firm has never lost an incumbent race for Governor or U.S. Senate and has picked up a Republican seat every election cycle since 1994. Recent victories include helping defend some of the most vulnerable incumbents of 2006, including Governors Jennifer Granholm and Jim Doyle, Senators Maria Cantwell and Dan Akaka. In 2005, we helped elect Jon Corzine Governor and to defeat Governor Schwarzenegger’s initiatives in California. In 2004, our victories included electing Brian Schweitzer’s the first Democratic Governor in Montana in 20 years and John Barrow’s Congressional victory in Georgia (one of only two Democrats to defeat House incumbents in 2004).

Many leading public interest organizations, ranging from The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the National Education Association and the National Environmental Trust have turned to The Mellman Group for research-based strategy. Corporate clients include Coca-Cola, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Intuit (makers of Quicken) and the Washington Wizards.


Whether winning for you means getting more votes than your opponent, selling more product, changing public policy, raising more money or generating more activism, The Mellman Group transforms data into winning strategies.