Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, was named on Feb. 22 to the 2021 NJBIZ Power 100 list, which recognizes the most powerful people in New Jersey. This is Murray’s second year appearing on the Power 100 list and follows his placement in the No. 10 spot on NJBIZ’s 2020 Education Power 50 list. The top 10 individuals on the list are ranked in numerical order, while the remaining 90 are listed alphabetically.
According to NJBIZ: “Murray just finished an extended period in the national spotlight as one of the nation’s top pollsters and is heading into a similarly intense time in New Jersey. Last year it was the presidential election, this year it will be the gubernatorial and legislative campaigns here. The Monmouth University poll, which Murray runs, is one of the most closely watched surveys of public opinion and he is a sought-after political analyst and is able to dissect poll results in a way anyone can understand. That skill will be important over the coming months because of the skepticism toward polling in the media and among the public generated by some high-profile misses by several prominent pollsters.”
Murray is the founding director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, which launched in 2005. Since then, the Monmouth University Poll has established itself as one of the nation’s leading independent survey research centers, consistently earning an A-plus rating from FiveThirtyEight.com. The Monmouth University Poll was one of only six polls to earn the top grade out of 453 groups rated in 2020.
Murray frequently appears as a commentator on national and regional TV and radio, including appearances on various programs at CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, PBS, and NPR. During federal election years, he also serves as an exit poll analyst for the NBC News Decision Desk. In the institute’s home state, Murray has appeared on numerous power lists of the most influential people in New Jersey politics. Murray also served as a longtime board member of the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area.
Read more about the 2021 NJBIZ Power 100.