Spring 2025 Fellow
Ed Goeas served as President and CEO of The Tarrance Group—one of the most respected Republican survey research and strategy teams in American politics—for thirty-five years before retiring from the firm in December of 2022. At that time The Tarrance Group could count as clients thirty-eight current Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, twelve U.S. Senators, and five Governors. Over the last thirty-five years, The Tarrance Group has elected hundreds of U.S. Congress members, numerous Governors, and countless statewide officeholders, State Senators, and State Representatives.
In recognition of the number of winning campaigns conducted by The Tarrance Group, Ed was honored as “1994 Republican Pollster of the Year.” In later years, Ed and his partners Brian Tringali and Dave Sackett were honored as “2010 Republican Pollster of the Year” and “2014 Republican Pollster of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC).
Ed is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading political strategists and has done extensive survey research on healthcare, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, education, and populism. He was Program Director for the 2008 Republican National Convention for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign, as well as the longest-serving member of the Board of Directors for AAPC.
In addition to his campaign work, Goeas works in partnership with Democratic pollster Celinda Lake on the nationally recognized Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service Battleground Poll. In 2011, Lake and Goeas were awarded the Distinguished Service to the Profession Award for over twenty years of work on the Battleground Poll. Together, Goeas and Lake released a book entitled A Question of Respect: Bringing Us Together in a Deeply Divided Nation, which made the Wall Street Journal Best Sellers and Oklahoma Best Sellers lists.
Rounding out his career in April of 2023, Ed Goeas was inducted into the AAPC Hall of Fame thanks to his reputation for running positive campaigns. He has since traveled to universities across the nation promoting civility and advocating for a “Respect Movement” within our nation’s youth.
Ed and his wife, Lisa Goeas, have three children: Emma, Robert, and Bennett. They live in Alexandria, Virginia along with their goldendoodle Apollo. Goeas received his Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Cameron University in Oklahoma.
Study Group- A Question of Respect: Polarization Before, During, and After the 2024 Election
Shortly after the November election of 2022, Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and Republican pollster Ed Goeas released the acclaimed book – A Question of Respect: Bringing Us Together in a Deeply Divided Nation. The inspiration for the book grew out of the extreme polarization of the 2020 presidential election. As an eternal optimist, Goeas thought the American electorate was ready to leave behind the extreme polarization and negativity of partisan campaigns; but now, he and so many Americans realize how little has changed. This study group analyzed the contributing factors to our nation’s polarization discussed in his book and the role those factors played in the 2024 presidential election, include systemic drivers of polarization: social media, cable news networks, toxic political incentives, and vanishing respect for one another.
Spring 2025 Semester Recap
Ed Goeas said this about his experience at USC’s Center for the Political Future: “I’ve gone all over the country speaking to students because they’re our future. They’ll bring our county back to a more civil way of dealing with each other. CPF is key in moving students in the right direction.”
USC students in Ed’s study group shared this about their experience:
“Participating in Goeas’ study group was a transformative experience, mainly because I learned how to engage in deep and meaningful conversations about political polarization in our country. His commitment to understanding individual experiences created a space where we could openly discuss immigration, policymaking, and collective justice. It was an environment grounded in integrity, reflection, and shared learning, which I appreciated immensely.”
Naila Kabir, Political Science and Philosophy, Politics, and Law
“As a Democrat, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy a study group led by a conservative. On the first day, after Ed shared how he wrote this book with Democrat Celinda Lake, I knew this would not be an antagonistic study group. The civility and respect that Ed showed for each of us emanated through the conversations. What I learned is simple: respect is paramount. It is impossible to build consensus without respect. My favorite part of the study group was the stories Ed shared about his story. These anecdotes helped me shape some potential avenues to explore politics in the future, like what it is like to work on campaigns. These stories provided different, more intimate, perspectives on politicians. He shed a light on a more personal side of some political figures who I only knew publicly.”
“Being part of Ed Goeas’ study group on restoring civility in politics was an inspiring experience. Ed’s genuine nature and decades of experience brought the topic to life—he didn’t just talk about respect in politics, he modeled it. His stories and real-world anecdotes made each session engaging and meaningful. One of my favorite parts was how personal and welcoming he made the experience, even taking us all out for sushi. It felt less like a class and more like a conversation with someone who truly cares about the future of our democracy.”
Ed shared his thoughts on the importance of politics, his first political experience, his advice for having respectful political discourse, and what he appreciates about CPF in his “Quick Takes: Q&A with CPF Fellow Ed Goeas” video.