Hart Research Associates
Hart Research Associates is a Washington, DC-based public opinion research firm founded in 1971, conducting custom qualitative and quantitative polling for political campaigns, advocacy organizations, labor unions, corporations, foundations, and media outlets including NBC News and CNBC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hart Research Associates does
Hart Research Associates is a Washington, DC-based public opinion research and strategic consulting firm founded in 1971 by Peter D. Hart. The firm conducts both qualitative research (focus groups, in-depth interviews) and quantitative survey polling for political campaigns, advocacy organizations, labor unions, corporations, foundations, and media organizations. Its core offering is custom research projects that translate public attitudes into actionable strategic recommendations for electoral strategy, issue advocacy, brand management, and messaging.
Hart Research's methodologies combine expert questionnaire design with sophisticated sampling, predictive modeling, and demographic trend analysis, all conducted in-house by senior staff including five PhDs. The firm maintains flagship partnerships with NBC News (since 1989 as Democratic pollster for the bipartisan NBC News Poll) and CNBC (co-leading the All-America Economic Survey for over 15 years). Notable client engagements span the DCCC, DNC, Senate Majority PAC, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Disney, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and ESPN, among others.
The firm operates as a privately held, management-owned professional services company (legally Yang Strategic Research LLC, District of Columbia). It is led by CEO Fred Yang (since 2020) and President Geoff Garin, supported by a CFO, VPs of Data Analytics and Research, multiple Partners, and a team of analysts and operations staff totaling 11-50 employees. Pricing is custom per project with no public rate cards; the firm relies on direct client relationships, word-of-mouth referrals, and the reputational halo of its media partnerships rather than traditional marketing.
Hart Research Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hart Research Associates
- Legal name
- Yang Strategic Research LLC
- Website
- https://hartresearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hart Research Associates is a Washington, DC-based public opinion research firm founded in 1971, conducting custom qualitative and quantitative polling for political campaigns, advocacy organizations, labor unions, corporations, foundations, and media outlets including NBC News and CNBC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hart Research Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Opinion Research
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)
Keywords
Where Hart Research Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hart Research Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Political Campaign Research Services: Conducting public opinion research for candidates for public office at national, state, and community levels. Services include electoral campaign strategy, messaging research, voter targeting, and turnout modeling for political campaigns and party committees.
- Advocacy and Nonprofit Research: Research services for advocacy organizations, labor unions, and nonprofits covering issues such as climate change, reproductive rights, healthcare, education, voting rights, and social justice.
- Corporate and Private Sector Research: Brand management, reputation research, consumer behavior studies, and policy issue navigation for Fortune 500 companies and trade associations.
- Media Partnership Polling: Longstanding partnerships with NBC News (since 1989) and CNBC conducting gold-standard national polls on social, political, and economic issues.
- Foundation Research Services: Research for foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and others to advance philanthropic missions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Custom research projects tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Hart Research Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hart Research Associates is a public opinion research firm that designs and conducts custom qualitative and quantitative research — including surveys, focus groups, predictive modeling, and voter targeting — for political campaigns, advocacy organizations, labor unions, foundations, media outlets, and corporate clients. The firm's work is delivered as tailored research engagements that translate findings into strategic recommendations on messaging, branding, and campaign tactics.
Product overview
Hart Research Associates is a public opinion research firm offering qualitative and quantitative research services rather than a software product company. The core offerings include electoral campaign strategy research, issue advocacy polling, brand and reputation tracking, and national trends monitoring. Key research products include the NBC News Poll (conducted since 1989 as the Democratic pollster) and the CNBC All-America Economic Survey. Services span across political campaigns, nonprofit advocacy organizations, labor unions, and private sector corporate clients. The firm employs specialized methodologies including focus groups, large-scale surveys, predictive modeling, and demographic trend analysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NBC News Poll
- CNBC All-America Economic Survey
- Electoral Campaign Research Services
- Issue Advocacy Research Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Conducted survey of 1,111 U.S. teens (ages 13-18) on AI skills and careers for National 4-H Council in February 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hart Research Associates
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hart Research Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Hart Research Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.
- Public Opinion StrategiesmajorConducts the NBC News poll in partnership with Public Opinion Strategies. This bipartisan collaboration produces one of the gold-standard national polls considered the top barometer of American opinion on social and political issues.
- National 4-H CouncilmajorPartnership to conduct surveys on youth attitudes, including a February 2026 survey of 1,111 U.S. teens on AI skills and career preparedness.
- Solving Hunger (Tusk Philanthropies)coreConducted a poll of 600 Maryland voters on school breakfast programs in December 2025 for Solving Hunger, a project of Tusk Philanthropies, finding 76% support for free school breakfast.
- NBC NewsflagshipSince 1989, Hart Research has served as the Democratic pollster for the bipartisan NBC News Poll, considered the gold standard of national polls. This long-standing partnership provides significant credibility and visibility.
- CNBCflagshipCo-leads CNBC's All-America Economic Survey, a quarterly poll on politics, economics, and personal finance for over 15 years. This partnership positions Hart as a thought leader on economic and financial issues.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hart Research Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lake Research Partners: Progressive public opinion research and strategy firm serving Democratic campaigns, labor unions, advocacy organizations, and foundations. Closely comparable in client mix, methodology, and progressive positioning; several Hart Research staff previously worked at Lake.
- Benenson Strategy Group: Democratic polling and strategic consulting firm serving corporate, advocacy, and campaign clients. Comparable in offering a mix of strategic research, message testing, and brand work alongside political engagements.
- Public Opinion Strategies: Republican counterpart pollster that co-leads the bipartisan NBC News Poll with Hart Research. Directly comparable as a top-tier political polling firm serving the opposite party's ecosystem with the same client types.
- Anzalone Liszt Grove Research: Major Democratic polling and strategic research firm for federal and statewide campaigns, party committees, and advocacy organizations. Direct competitor for the same client set and election-cycle work.
- GBAO Strategies: Democratic-aligned polling and research firm serving campaigns, labor unions, and advocacy clients. Comparable in service scope and progressive political orientation, with overlapping talent flows.
- Global Strategy Group: Democratic polling, research, and communications firm with strong corporate, advocacy, and campaign practices. Comparable in providing integrated research and strategic advisory services to similar client segments.
Broad incumbents
- Gallup: Established global analytics and polling firm known for syndicated national polls and corporate research. Comparable in public opinion research methodology but with broader international footprint and portfolio of recurring tracking products.
- Ipsos Public Affairs: Global market research and public affairs firm with strong US political polling and corporate reputation research practices. Comparable in offering polling and brand research to campaigns, corporations, and advocacy organizations, but at much larger scale.
- NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research institution conducting large-scale survey research, polling, and policy evaluation. Comparable in methodology and policy/political research but affiliated with a major academic institution and operating at significantly larger scale.
- Pew Research Center: Nonpartisan nonprofit research organization producing high-profile public opinion polling on politics, media, and demographics. Comparable in syndicated public opinion research but operates at significantly larger scale and as a nonprofit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hart Research Associates social profiles
Digital presenceHart Research Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hart Research Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Hart Research Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hart Research Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hart Research Associates
What does Hart Research Associates do?
Hart Research Associates is a public opinion research firm that designs and conducts custom qualitative and quantitative research — including surveys, focus groups, predictive modeling, and voter targeting — for political campaigns, advocacy organizations, labor unions, foundations, media outlets, and corporate clients. The firm's work is delivered as tailored research engagements that translate findings into strategic recommendations on messaging, branding, and campaign tactics.
Is Hart Research Associates a public or private company?
Hart Research Associates is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Hart Research Associates founded?
Hart Research Associates was founded in 1971. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hart Research Associates based?
Hart Research Associates is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hart Research Associates make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Political Campaign Research Services are the primary driver. The others are advocacy and Nonprofit Research, corporate and Private Sector Research, media Partnership Polling and foundation Research Services.
Who are Hart Research Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lake Research Partners, Benenson Strategy Group, Public Opinion Strategies, Anzalone Liszt Grove Research, GBAO Strategies and Global Strategy Group. Broad incumbents are Gallup, Ipsos Public Affairs, NORC at the University of Chicago and Pew Research Center.
Does Hart Research Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hart Research Associates.
What industry is Hart Research Associates in?
Hart Research Associates's product category is Public Opinion Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAALAB, Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies), with a secondary code of BPAHALAE, Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom). Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 8742.