One of the Democratic Party's leading political strategists and opinion survey firms. Works with progressive nonprofits. Founder of Lake Research Partners. Native of Montana.
Links: Bio link | (Current as of: April 14, 2015)
Celinda Lake is one of the Democratic Party’s leading political strategists, serving as tactician and senior advisor to the national party committees, dozens of Democratic incumbents, and challengers at all levels of the electoral process. Celinda and her firm are known for cutting-edge research on issues including the economy, health care, the environment and education, and have worked for a number of institutions including the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Governor’s Association (DGA), Next Generation, AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, NEA, AFT, IAFF, Sierra Club, EcoAmerica, Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Campaign, EMILY’s List, the Kaiser Family Foundation and The RWJ Foundation. Her work has also taken her to advise fledgling democratic parties in several post-war Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, and South Africa. In 2008, Celinda worked as pollster for Vice President Biden.
Since its formation, Lake Research Partners has become one of the most respected Democratic polling firms in the country. The firm’s work has moved the progressive agenda forward on a variety of issues. Working against the conservatives, Celinda’s research demonstrated that the phrase “religious political extremists” was much more communicative than the vernacular “religious right.” And in minimum wage that was key to that the wage added up to $290 a week. Her interviews and statistics have been quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal as well as a variety of magazines, including Newsweek, Glamour and Marie Claire, and Celinda has appeared on numerous television and radio news programs, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, NPR and The Rachel Maddow Show, discussing her work and providing expert commentary.
Celinda is one of the nation’s foremost experts on electing women candidates and on framing issues to women voters. American Politics calls Celinda a “super-strategist or, better yet, the Godmother,” and Working Woman says she is “arguably the most influential woman in her field.”
Prior to forming Lake Research Partners, Celinda was partner and vice president at Greenberg-Lake. Her earlier experience includes serving as Political Director of the Women’s Campaign Fund, as the Research Director at the Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and as a Policy Analyst for the Subcommittee on Select Education.
Celinda, a native of Montana and one of the political world’s most avid whitewater rafters, holds a master’s degree in political science and survey research from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and a certificate in political science from the University of Geneva, in Switzerland. Celinda received her undergraduate degree from Smith College in Massachusetts, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumna Medal by the College. The American Association of Political Consultants awarded her and Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group, the Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Profession in 2011.
CONTENT BY THIS PERSON
PresentationExpanding Civil Legal Aid: Strategies for Branding and Communications
Celinda Lake, Brian NienaberVoices for Civil Justice
November 7, 2013
Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group, under contract with the Public Welfare and Kresge Foundations as part of their funding for Voices for Civil Justice, conducted public opinion research on expanding civil legal Aid.
Presentation , Video
Findings of the 2013 Civil Legal Aid Opinion Research, Presented by Celinda Lake
Celinda LakeVoices for Civil Justice
March 13, 2014
In this 27:38 video, Celinda Lake presents to a conference her opinion survey finding and recommendations for building awareness of the role of civil legal aid.
This page last modified: Fri, April 17, 2015 -- 2:47 pm ET