What Happened to The Rothenberg Political Report?

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 9, 2015 · 8:30 AM EST

Growing up, I wanted to be a professional baseball player, or maybe a sportscaster if that didn’t work out. I didn’t know that being a political analyst was a viable occupation, or even an occupation at all.

In 1989, Stuart Rothenberg took over a small newsletter and built The Rothenberg Political Report into one of the most well-respected, nonpartisan publications in the country. After more than 13 years of working under and alongside Stu, I am excited to continue that legacy as editor and publisher.

Even though our individual roles are changing, our goal is the same: The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report will deliver quality, nonpartisan analysis of the most competitive House, Senate, and gubernatorial elections and presidential politics using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data.

We interview over 150 congressional candidates every cycle, and talk with key partisan decision makers in Washington and astute political observers in the states. We also rely heavily on data including past electoral history and trends, current polling (public and private, partisan and nonpartisan), as well as national surveys.

There will be some changes. Along with the new name, we’ll continue to explore ways to deepen our coverage and deliver our analysis to our readers more efficiently. And some simple things, such as offering a downloadable PDF version of every newsletter to subscribers, are already in place. We are also constantly looking to enhance our license packages for PACs looking to add value for their contributors and board members.

I am forever grateful to Stu for the opportunity to become part of the Report back in 2001 and for the opportunity to build and grow that legacy beginning in 2015. I am a better writer, journalist, and nonpartisan analyst because of his patience and guidance. I’ve also gained a lifelong friend. But this isn’t an obituary for Stu. He’s not dying. He’s not even retiring. Stu is still writing his regular column for Roll Call and his analysis will still be felt in pages of the Report.

Thank you for being loyal readers and we hope you will join us for another two years. At a time when everyone in the media is trying to figure out how to avoid extinction, we will continue our search for more readers who value quality over quantity, context over click bait, and dispassionate analysis over partisan rancor.

 

By Stuart Rothenberg

After 25 years of steering the Rothenberg Political Report in what I hope has been the right direction, I have moved to the back seat. My long-time colleague and friend Nathan Gonzales has taken the wheel and will continue what I started. I will be there to offer advice and write from time to time, and I promise that readers of the newsletter can count on the same dispassionate analysis and experienced handicapping that they have valued in the past.