Michael Bocian, founding partner at GBAO, one of the leading Democratic polling firms in the country. In 2020, Bocian served as pollster for two of the five new Democratic U.S. Senators, helping Sen. Raphael Warnock achieve a historic victory in Georgia and guiding Sen. Ben Ray Lujan in New Mexico. He also polled for three winning ballot initiative campaigns in 2020 – Colorado’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Initiative, Oregon’s Tobacco and Vaping Tax Measure, and Oregon’s Campaign Finance Reform measure.
In 2018, he provided research for campaigns and independent expenditures that helped Democrats win five Governor’s races, including flipping three from red to blue. He has conducted quantitative or qualitative research in all 50 states and worked on many of the major issues of our time – health care, climate change, education, immigration, foreign policy, criminal justice reform, reproductive health care and others.
By providing research and strategic advice, Bocian also helped elect Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM), Gov. Kate Brown (OR), Gov. Laura Kelly (KS), Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (NM), Secretary of State Shemia Fagan (OR), and eleven current members of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rep. Lucy McBath (GA), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM), Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL), Rep. Katherine Clark (MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR), Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA), Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY), Rep. Lori Trahan (MA), Rep. Colin Allred (TX). Bocian also conducts state legislative polling in Washington and Oregon.
In addition to his work with candidates, Bocian provides research and strategic guidance to a variety of progressive organizations including House Majority PAC, Senate Majority PAC, NRDC, NEA, SEIU, AFSCME, ACLU, the Partnership for Safety and Justice, YouthFirst Initiative, and the Center for American Progress, among others.
Bocian is one of the leading experts on ballot initiative campaigns and has directed the polling for several successful ballot initiative campaigns on issues including taxes, education, renewable energy, the minimum wage, paid sick leave and workers’ rights.
Bocian received his Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University. He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and two daughters.