Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies


Company History and Services

Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies, now called , is a survey research, data mining and campaign consulting firm located in Louisville, Colorado. The company's clients include Republican Party candidates, conservative political organizations, non-profit organizations, trade associations, businesses and local governments. The firm was founded in November 2006. Using quantitative and qualitative survey research methods, the firm helps Republican candidates, conservative organizations, trade associations and governments better understand voter opinion. In addition to survey research, the company provides predictive voter modeling, voter data analysis and campaign consulting services. Magellan is a member of the Marketing Research Association, the American Association for Public Opinion Research, and the American Association of Political Consultants. Some of the firm's clients include the Republican National Committee and Americans for Prosperity.

Survey Weighting Methodology

Magellan Strategies maintains and uses a national database of registered voters to determine their survey sampling weights by gender, age group, party registration and race. The firm does take into account past exit polling for a state or district when determining final survey weighting, but the principals of the firm consider exit polling data secondary and much less accurate than aggregated vote history from a complete and accurate voter registration database with solid vote history.

2016 Election Cycle

Magellan Strategies staff testifies in front of regarding Colorado voter opinion of a proposed 3.5 billion dollar bond measure to fund transportation need in the state.

2012 Election Cycle

In mid-November 2011, a Magellan poll conducted for the New Hampshire Journal surprisingly reported that Newt Gingrich had surged in New Hampshire, which hosts the first Presidential nominating primary. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney had long led polls in New Hampshire, yet the Magellan Poll seemingly revealed he had lost a quarter of his support. The Magellan Poll reported that Romney had 29% of the support of surveyed voters while Gingrich was in a virtual statistical tie with 27%. By contrast, a Bloomberg News poll conducted less than a week before the Magellan Poll put Romney's support in New Hampshire at 40% and Gingrich at 11%. A story in The New York Times on December 16 reported "Signs of trouble emerged for Mr. Romney in New Hampshire on Nov. 18, the day a poll in The New Hampshire Journal showed for the first time that Mr. Romney and Mr. Gingrich were essentially tied, defying months of data that had suggested Mr. Romney’s lead in the state was unassailable. His aides, who had considered the state a political firewall, were suddenly spooked, said two people who have advised the campaign. The campaign dug into the numbers, and found what they considered flaws, but also unmistakable evidence of an ascent by Mr. Gingrich. A person who has advised Mr. Romney in the past said, "That rattled them".

2011 Election Cycle

The Political editor of the Denver Post acknowledges Magellan Strategies for correctly predicting the outcome of the special election in New York's 9th Congressional District to replace Anthony Weiner.

2010 Election Cycle

Magellan was criticized for making an inaccurate prediction that Tom Tancredo would win the 2010 Colorado Governors Election. 2010 gubernatorial election in Colorado. Tom Tancredo lost to Democrat John Hickenlooper on election day, November 2. Hickenlooper resoundingly beat Tancredo by a margin of 51% to 36%. Editorial page editor Curtis Hubbard of the Denver Post gave Magellan his "Agony of Defeat" award for the worst poll in the gubernatorial race.
References