The integrity of political polling is under fresh scrutiny after a Michigan state senator claimed that inaccurate and potentially fabricated data directly contributed to the collapse of her campaign. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat who was seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate, stated that the circulation of specific numbers from a firm called Wedgewood created a narrative of failure that her bid could not survive.
According to McMorrow, a poll released by Wedgewood on June 29 served as a turning point for her candidacy. The data placed her at just 9% support among registered voters, trailing behind competitors Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. While other surveys from the same period reflected low numbers—including a Susquehanna Polling survey from June 9 to 14 that also put her at 9%—those reports often included high margins of undecided voters. The Susquehanna poll, for instance, noted that 49% of Democratic primary voters had not yet made up their minds. A subsequent survey by Quantus Insights on July 1 placed her support at under 8%.
Despite the presence of other polls, McMorrow identified the Wedgewood figures as the primary catalyst for her campaign’s downward spiral. In a social media statement released on October 20, she described the numbers as “infamous” and claimed they had a devastating effect on her financial and political standing. She noted that after the numbers began to circulate, campaign donations effectively “dried up” and she was increasingly “hounded” by calls to exit the race. Facing a sudden lack of resources and mounting pressure, McMorrow suspended her campaign on July 5, only one month before the primary election.
The controversy surrounds the founder of Wedgewood, a pollster named Sims who previously worked with the firm FiftyPlusOne. Representatives from FiftyPlusOne noted that it is not uncommon for a professional to leave an established firm to start their own venture and self-fund surveys to build a reputation. The firm stated they had no initial reason to believe the case with Sims was any different. However, the subsequent fallout has raised questions about the verification of self-funded data used to influence political races.
Industry analysts, including Morris, have expressed concern that incidents involving questionable polling data exacerbate a decades-long trend of declining public confidence in the industry. The lack of transparency regarding how these surveys are conducted and funded can have real-world consequences for candidates like McMorrow, who argued that her campaign was essentially sabotaged by the perception created by these figures.
Sims could not be reached for comment regarding the allegations that the polling was manufactured or the specific methodology used by Wedgewood. As political campaigns increasingly rely on data-driven strategies to secure funding and endorsements, the McMorrow case serves as a stark example of how a single set of disputed figures can alter the trajectory of an election by influencing donor behavior and party pressure long before voters reach the ballot box.
