Senior Vice President

Chip Mertz has been an integral part of McLaughlin & Associates' success since joining the firm in 1995, and has over 15 years experience in all areas of political and corporate market research analysis. Chip has worked as a pollster at all levels of political campaigns (local, county, state, and federal), guiding Republican and conservative candidates to victory.

In 2002 Chip was named by Campaign and Elections magazine as a "Rising Star in Politics."

Chip was a key team member in McLaughlin & Associates' 2004 independent-expenditure work with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in the 8 most hotly contested U.S. Senate races in the country. Chip has also played a key role in Alabama Governor Bob Riley’s reelection campaign in 2006 as well as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's special recall election victory in October of 2003, and his Proposition 57 & Proposition 58 victories in March of 2004.

Chip has worked as polling consultant on the campaigns of more than 20 U.S. Congressman, including current sitting US Congressmen: Tom Davis (VA-11), Sam Graves (MO-6), John Carter (TX-31), Peter King (NY-3), Mike Rogers (AL-3), Eric Cantor (VA-7), Robert Aderholt (AL-4), Todd Tiahrt (KS-4), Thelma Drake (VA-2) and Randy Kuhl (NY-29). Chip was also a polling consultant for U.S. Senators John Warner (VA) and Richard Lugar (IN) during their winning 2002 campaigns.

Chip has worked very closely with many state Republican legislative committees, including his role as leading pollster for the New York State Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, Indiana House Republican and State Senate Campaign Committees, and Virginia House Republican Campaign Committee, where Chip has overseen the administration of more to 200 polls over three cycles (1999, 2001, 2005).

Chip also has extensive experience assisting corporate clients in developing their message campaigns to achieve their specific goals, working as lead pollster or consultant for McGuire Woods Consulting, Bose-Treacy Associates, New York Jets, Public Concepts, Indiana Soft Drink Association, Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association, New York State Association of Realtors, North Carolina Farmers for Fairness. GTECH, Smithfield Farms, and Trigon Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Chip is a 1986 graduate of Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island and currently lives in Yorktown, New York, with his wife Elizabeth and their two boys, D.J. and Ryan.

Chip Mertz was named Senior Vice President at McLaughlin & Associates in December, 2000.

STUART POLK

Vice President

Since 1995, Stuart Polk has helped McLaughlin & Associates guide political campaigns to victory and has helped organizations and corporations develop successful public opinion strategies.

Most recently, Stu Polk has worked closely with the Schwarzenegger Campaign for Governor and the California Recovery Team, which successfully passed two ballot propositions supported by Governor Schwarzenegger.

Mr. Polk was involved with the successful campaigns of Senator John Warner ('02) Senator George Allen ('00), Speaker of the House Denny Hastert (IL-14), Congressman Phil Crane (IL-8), Congressman Mark Kirk (IL-10), and Congressman John Sweeney (NY-22).

During the 2000 Republican Primary for President, Mr. Polk was a strategic analyst and director of the polling program for Forbes 2000 (Steve Forbes for President).

In addition to his political experience, Mr. Polk has done public opinion research and strategy for corporate clients while at John McLaughlin & Associates. Some of the organizations and clients that he has been involved with include: MTV's Choose or Lose, the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, the Southeastern Legal Foundation, Middle East Quarterly, the National Citizen's Coalition (Canada), the Media Research Center, the Smokeless Tobacco Council and the Erbach Communications Group.

Mr. Polk earned his B.A. from Union College in Political Science. He graduated with Honors in Political Science and as a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.

Stuart Polk was named a Vice President of McLaughlin & Associates in December, 2000.

MARIANNE CAMPBELL

Media Director

Marianne Campbell has been associated with McLaughlin & Associates since 1995 and currently serves as Media Director . Ms. Campbell has overseen the placement of over $100 million in political media throughout markets in all fifty states and is responsible for the development of media buying strategy, planning, and placement.

Ms. Campbell has played an integral role in advising a broad list of clients including: Forbes 1996 Campaign and Forbes 2000 Campaign, Republican National Committee, NRSC, NRCC, Nassau County Republicans, Americans for Hope, Growth, & Opportunity, Farmers for Fairness, New York State Conservative Party, New Yorkers for Term Limits, Florida's Working Families, Everglades Forever Partnership, FLorida Sugar Farmers, Florida Phosphate Group, Floridians for Education Reform, People for Integrity in Government, Conference of Presidents, Mike Rogers for Congress, Phil Crane for Congress, Pete King for Congress

McLaughlin & Associates has assisted PEM Management, TLS Associates, Chris Mottola Consulting, Warfield and Company and Forest Media with media planning and placement.

Marianne Campbell holds an M.S. degree from Fordham University in New York. She completed her undergraduate studies & received a B.A. from the College of New Rochelle.

CHARLIE BANKS

Data Specialist and Internet Director

Charlie Banks, as Data Specialist for McLaughlin & Associates, manages the technical aspects of gathering survey information, programming and compiling it into an understandable and useful strategy tool, and presenting it to clients. As Internet Director, Mr. Banks also oversees the maintenance and expansion of McLaughlin & Associates' growing presence on the World Wide Web.

Since joining McLaughlin & Associates in 1999, Mr. Banks has participated in numerous high-level political campaigns, including the most recent presidential campaign of Steve Forbes, senatorial campaigns for George Allen (VA) and Richard Lugar (IN), and congressional campaigns for U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL-14), Phil Crane (IL-8), Mark Souder (IN-4), Pete King (NY-3), John Thune (SD-At-large), Eric Cantor (VA-7), and Ed Schrock (VA-2).  Mr. Banks has also lent his efforts to various campaigns of interest for the New York State Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, and the Indiana Senate Majority Campaign Committee. Abroad, he has processed a number of surveys for Canada's National Citizens Coalition, and Conservative Party (Canada) Leader Stephen Harper.

Mr. Banks' domain as Internet Director, aside from conducting the firm's day-to-day Web-based research, includes design and upkeep of Web sites for our main office and for Opiniones Latinas™, our bilingual polling facility. He also supervises and operates PollingtheNet.com™, McLaughlin & Associates' foray into the growing field of direct polling over the Internet.

Mr. Banks earned his undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and is certified in World Wide Web design and computer graphic design.

Return to McLaughlinOnline.com Home Page