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Monmouth University Polling Institute
| Monmouth University Polling Institute | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | West Long Branch, N.J. |
| Type: | Polling firm |
| Year founded: | 2005 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Monmouth University Polling Institute was a research and polling firm associated with Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. According to the institute's website, the organization's mission was "to foster greater public accountability by ensuring that the public’s voice is heard in the policy discourse."[1] The Monmouth University Polling Institute ceased operations on July 1, 2025.[2][3]
Background
The Monmouth University Polling Institute was founded in 2005 to conduct public research on the state of New Jersey and on national political issues. According to NJ.com, the institute was also a space for students to learn interdisciplinary approaches to data analysis and polling. In October 2016, the site reported, "But beyond its stated mission, the Polling Institute has become a real-life learning lab for students, tying together statistics and practical research applications with the disciplines of political science, public policy, psychology, marketing and communications to produce influential reports on a variety of topics."[4]
The institute conducted polls on politics as well as issues relating to politics that affect voter choices.[5]
On March 13, 2025, Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy announced the polling institute would close after a “year-long review of all of the University’s Centers and Institutes.”[2] “At its height, the Institute played a prominent role in helping to elevate the University’s image and to amplify its reputation to households across the country,” Leahy said in a statement. “However, the changing political and media landscapes have made it both more difficult and more expensive for polling organizations to operate.”[2]
Leadership
Patrick Murray was Monmouth Polling Institute's founding director as of its closure in July 2025. He had served in the position since the institute's creation in 2005.[1]
Work and activities
Polling methodology
The institute conducted polls by telephone, including calls to mobile phones, calling those who are likely to vote in the upcoming election, according to the methodology descriptions included in the institute's individual polls. The poll methodology description also said, "Monmouth is responsible for all aspects of the survey design, data weighting and analysis. Final sample is weighted for region, party primary voting history, age, gender, and race based on state voter registration list and U.S. Census information."[6]
Polling activity
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2024
Monmouth conducted 73 polls during the 2023-24 election cycle on national attitudes toward the presidential election, as well as state-level polls on elections in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.[7] The website FiveThirtyEight rated Monmouth as one of the 10 best pollsters in the country as of January 2024.[8]
2022
Monmouth conducted 83 polls during the 2021-22 election cycle on attitudes towards President Joe Biden, the coronavirus pandemic, issues such as abortion and key races in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia.[7]
2020
FiveThirtyEight ranked Monmouth the best pollster of the 2020 presidential primaries based on the average error of polls in the final 21 days of the election.[9] According to an analysis of 108 polls, FiveThirtyEight also gave Monmouth an overall grade of A+ on May 19, 2020.[10]
2018
Monmouth conducted polling in 14 congressional races in 2018. "A notable innovation in the way Monmouth reported its findings in 2018 was showing the results for more than one potential turnout scenario. This approach pointed to a range of realistic outcomes and also conveyed the inherent uncertainty involved in election polling," the institute said in a press release.[11]
2017
Monmouth University Polling Institute published the following noteworthy polls in 2017:
- New Jersey gubernatorial election
- Phil Murphy (D) leading Kim Guadagno (R) by 27 points, July 12, 2017[12]
- Murphy leading Guadagno by 14 points, October 3, 2017[13]
- Virginia gubernatorial election
- Ed Gillespie (R) and Ralph Northam (D) tied with 44 percent support for each, July 24, 2017[14]
- Northam leading Gillespie by five points, September 26, 2017[15]
- Gillespie leading Northam, with 48 percent support compared to Northam's 47 percent, October 17, 2017[6]
2016
Monmouth University Polling Institute published the following noteworthy polls in 2016:
- Presidential general election
- Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump in the general election with 46 percent support compared to 34 percent support for Trump, August 8, 2016[16]
- Clinton leading Trump in Colorado by 11 points, October 3, 2016[17]
- Clinton leading Trump nationally by 12 points, October 17, 2016[18]
- Clinton leading Trump in Nevada by 7 points, October 18, 2016[19]
- Clinton holding a "negligible one-point lead" over Trump in North Carolina, October 24, 2016[20]
- Trump leading Clinton by 14 points in Missouri, November 1, 2016[21]
- Clinton leading Trump by four points in Pennsylvania, November 2, 2016[22]
- Presidential primary elections
- Donald Trump (R) leading Republican Iowa caucuses with 30 percent support compared to 23 percent for Ted Cruz, January 27, 2016[23]
- Hillary Clinton (D) leading Democratic Iowa caucuses with 47 percent support compared to 42 percent for Bernie Sanders (D), January 28, 2016.[24]
- U.S. Senate elections
- Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) leading Darryl Glenn (R-Colo.) by 18 points, October 3, 2016[17]
- Joe Heck (R-Nev.) leading Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) by 3 points, October 18, 2016[19]
- Richard Burr (R-N.C.) with a six point lead over Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), October 24, 2016[20]
- Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) with "an insignificant 47 percent to 46 percent lead" over Jason Kander (D-Mo.), November 1, 2016[21]
- Katie McGinty (D-Pa.) with a three point lead over Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), November 2, 2016[22]
- Gubernatorial elections
- Pat McCrory (R) with a "negligible 48 percent to 47 percent lead" over Roy Cooper for North Carolina governor, October 24, 2016[20]
- Chris Koster (D) and Eric Greitens (R) tied for Missouri governor, November 1, 2016[21]
2014
Monmouth University Polling Institute published the following noteworthy polls in 2014:
- Gubernatorial elections
- Nathan Deal (R) leading Jason Carter (D) by six points for Georgia governor, October 29, 2014.[25]
- U.S. Senate elections
- David Perdue (R-Ga.) leading Michelle Nunn (D-Ga.) by eight points, October 29, 2014[25]
- Cory Booker (D-N.J) leading Jeff Bell (R-N.J.) by 14 points, November 3, 2014[26]
Notable endorsements
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Monmouth University Polling Institute'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wayback Machine: Monmouth University Polling Institute, "About The Institute," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Politico , "New Jersey’s revered Monmouth University Polling Institute to shut down in July," March 12, 2025
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute , "Home," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ NJ.com, "National election poll prowess reflects Monmouth University's academically rigorous approach," October 13, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Corzine Points a Spotlight at His Rival’s Waistline," October 7, 2009
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Race for Governor Deadlocked," October 17, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Monmouth University Polling Institute , "Latest Polls," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight , "What are the best pollsters in America?" January 25, 2024
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "We’ve Updated Our Pollster Ratings Ahead Of The 2020 General Election," May 19, 2020
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "FiveThirtyEight’s Pollster Ratings," May 19, 2020
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Monmouth University Poll – 2018 Midterm Recap," November 12, 2018
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Murphy Has Big Lead Over Guadagno," July 12, 2017
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Murphy Leads Guadagno by 14," October 3, 2017
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Tied Race For Governor," July 24, 2017
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Northam Leads in Close Race," September 26, 2017
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Clinton Opens Post-Convention Lead," August 8, 2016
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Clinton Maintains Double Digit Lead," October 3, 2016
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Trump Hurt by Misconduct Claims as Clinton Lead Widens," October 17, 2016
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Clinton Retakes Lead; Senate Race Remains Close," October 18, 2017
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Prez, Gov Races Close; GOP Edge for Senate," October 24, 2016
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Senate Race Remains Neck and Neck; Trump Widens Edge for President," November 1, 2016
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Clinton Has Smaller Lead; McGinty Ahead in Senate Race," November 2, 2016
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Trump Takes Caucus Lead," January 27, 2016
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Clinton Clings to Caucus Lead," January 28, 2016
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Perdue (Sen), Deal (Gov) in Lead," October 29, 2014
- ↑ Monmouth University Polling Institute, "Booker Leads Bell by 14," November 3, 2014
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