What Lake Research Partners does

Lake Research Partners is a U.S.-headquartered public opinion and political strategy research firm founded in 1995 by Celinda Lake, with a headquarters in Washington, D.C. and a Bay Area office in Berkeley, California, plus senior staff distributed across Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Virginia, and Washington state. The firm serves progressive candidates and elected officials at every level of government (Presidential to City Hall), advocacy organizations, labor unions, non-profits, government agencies, and foundations, conducting work across all 50 U.S. states and 35+ countries internationally. It is a woman-owned small business with no external equity backing and is described as profitable and self-sustaining.

The firm delivers a suite of professional research services rather than a software product: political polling and strategic campaign consulting, ballot measure research, issue advocacy research, message development, branding and reputation management, program evaluation, and membership evaluation. Its methodology stack combines quantitative surveys (including online panels), qualitative methods (focus groups, online qualitative boards with 25–30 participants over 3–4 days, dial testing for ad response), and social media listening and content analysis. Advanced analytical techniques include segmentation analysis, data modeling, micro-targeting, multivariate regression, cluster analysis, factor analysis, CHAID, conjoint, Max Diff, and TURF analysis. The firm is rated by FiveThirtyEight as the top Democratic polling firm in terms of accuracy across three consecutive election cycles.

The business model is project-based professional services sold directly through relationship-based engagement, with quote-based negotiated pricing and no publicly disclosed rate card. Revenue streams include political campaign consulting, issue advocacy research, ballot measure consulting, and foundation and government research. The firm operates with a deliberately stable, non-temp workforce of expert researchers and strategists — approximately 11–50 employees — and has run for three decades without external funding rounds or institutional investment.

Name

Lake Research Partners

Legal name

Lake Research Partners

Website

https://lakeresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Research Partners is a U.S. public opinion and political strategy research firm founded in 1995 that provides polling, strategic consulting, and message development to progressive candidates, advocacy organizations, labor unions, foundations, and government agencies across all 50 states and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Polling and Strategy Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

Keywords

• Political polling
• Campaign consulting
• Opinion research
• Message development
• Ballot measure research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Political Campaign Consulting: Provides polling, strategic consulting, and message development services to political candidates at all levels of the electoral process
2. Issue Advocacy Research: Research services for advocacy organizations, labor unions, and non-profits to shape debates and develop winning policy positions
3. Ballot Measure Consulting: Strategic research and consulting for ballot initiative campaigns including minimum wage increases, public education funding, and civil rights measures
4. Foundation and Government Research: Research services for foundations, government agencies, and academic institutions on policy analysis and program evaluation

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lake Research Partners is a national public opinion and political strategy research firm that provides quantitative polling, qualitative research (focus groups, dial testing, online qual boards), message development, and strategic campaign consulting to progressive political candidates, advocacy groups, labor unions, non-profits, foundations, and government agencies. Its services span the full electoral and advocacy lifecycle, from opinion research and message testing through turnout modeling and Election Day strategy.

Product overview

Lake Research Partners is a public opinion and political strategy research firm offering a comprehensive suite of research services rather than a traditional software product. The firm's core offerings include political polling and strategic campaign consulting for candidates at all levels, issue advocacy research, message development, and branding services. Their specialized research services span environment, reproductive rights, gender-based violence, animal welfare, equality and human rights, race-class narrative, jury research, membership evaluation, labor movement support, and ballot measure campaigns. The firm employs multiple research methodologies including dial testing, focus groups, online qualitative boards, and social media research. Their analytical tools include segmentation analysis, data modeling, multivariate regression, cluster analysis, factor analysis, CHAID analysis, conjoint analysis, Max Diff analysis, and TURF analysis. The company operates from offices in Washington D.C. and Berkeley, California, with senior staff across multiple states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Political Polling and Strategic Campaign Consulting Provides accurate polling, insightful analysis, and strategic consulting for political candidates and ballot measure committees at all levels of the electoral process, from Presidential campaigns down to City Hall.
• Examining Policies and Programs Research services examining how policies affect people and how public programs can better meet public needs at all levels of government, for foundations, government agencies, and academic institutions.
• Issue Advocacy Research Research services that shape debates and lead to winning policy outcomes on progressive issues including minimum wage, abortion rights, environmental policy, healthcare, and immigration.
• Message Development Research-driven message development services that create tested vocabulary and messaging resonant with target audiences for campaigns, advocacy groups, and non-profits.
• Branding and Reputation Management Organizational branding research to create or hone identity, understand competitive positioning, and repair tarnished images for progressive-aligned organizations.
• Environment Research Research services focused on climate protection, clean energy transition, and environmental advocacy for environmental organizations and campaigns.
• Pro-Choice Research Research supporting reproductive rights, abortion access advocacy, and defeating anti-choice ballot measures for clients such as Planned Parenthood.
• Gender-Based Violence Research Research on intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, testing solutions and evaluating candidates' leadership on these issues.
• Animal Welfare Research Research helping improve animal welfare through polls, focus groups, and message testing for animal welfare organizations.
• Equality and Human Rights Research Research on LGBT rights, marriage equality, civil rights, and human rights issues including pioneering work defeating marriage bans.
• Race-Class Narrative Research Research demonstrating the power of a Race-Class Narrative that addresses both economic and racial justice to build progressive coalitions.
• Jury Research Affordable jury research methods providing insights into how to explain complex cases to potential jurors for non-political clients.
• Membership Evaluation Research understanding member priorities, attitudes toward organizations, and strategies to deepen member engagement for unions and non-profits.
• The Labor Movement Research Research for labor unions on messaging, member advocacy, and political messaging regarding minimum wage, organizing rights, and healthcare.
• Ballot Measure Campaigns Extensive experience with ballot measure campaigns including 15 successful minimum wage increases, public education funding, civil rights measures, and defeating restrictive initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rated #1 in pollster accuracy by FiveThirtyEight for three consecutive cycles
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership conducting the bipartisan Battleground Civility Poll, conducted by Democratic pollsters from Lake Research Partners and Republican pollsters from Tarrance Group. The poll examines voter attitudes toward polarization, civility, and threats to democracy across multiple election cycles.
• Two Feathers ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in conducting survey research for Advance Native Political Leadership, surveying 1,000 Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native adults on political identities and perspectives. Research resulted in Indigenous Voices Rising: 2024 National Survey Report.
• Tarrance GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBipartisan polling partnership conducting the Georgetown Battleground Civility Poll. Republican pollsters from Tarrance Group work alongside Democratic pollsters from Lake Research Partners.
• HIT StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership conducting national poll of Women of Color voters for Intersections of Our Lives collaborative, examining Black, Latina/x, and Asian American Pacific Islander women voters' motivations and issue priorities.
• Common Sense MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership conducting comprehensive nationwide surveys of parents and kids exploring concerns about economic stability, mental health, and role for government. Partnership includes Echelon Insights.
• Kellyanne ConwayminorOthersCo-authored 'What Women Really Want' (Free Press, 2005) examining ways women are changing the political landscape in America.
• Echelon InsightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with LRP and Common Sense Media on annual State of Families and Kids surveys, and AI research among parents, tweens, and teens.
• Barbara Lee Family FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership conducting research on women candidates, including studies on voters' perceptions of women governors and lieutenant governors, incumbent women candidates, and women running for executive office.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tarrance Group: Republican counterpart firm led by Ed Goeas that explicitly partners with LRP on the Georgetown Battleground Civility Poll. Comparable methodology and scale, but on the opposing side of the political spectrum.
• Pew Research Center: Major nonpartisan public opinion research institution. Overlaps in survey methodology and brand authority on public opinion, but does not compete for LRP's political campaign or advocacy contracting.

Direct peers

• GBAO (Global Strategy Group): Progressive polling and strategic communications firm with strong ballot measure and labor union client roster. Direct competitor on labor organizing research and progressive issue advocacy campaigns.
• Benenson Strategy Group: Established Democratic polling firm with strong corporate-side practice alongside political work. Comparable scale and methodology; overlaps with LRP on progressive political work and on the corporate reputation research LRP sometimes avoids.
• Bendixen & Amandi International: Democratic polling and research firm with deep multilingual and Latino voter expertise. Comparable methodology stack and client base, including progressive advocacy and labor clients across presidential and state races.
• The Mellman Group: Democratic polling and strategic research firm led by Mark Mellman. Direct competitor for progressive campaigns, ballot measures, and corporate reputation work in the same D.C. policy corridor as LRP.
• Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research: Long-established progressive/Democratic polling and strategic research firm co-founded by Stan Greenberg. Most direct head-to-head competitor for the same DNC, AFL-CIO, and progressive advocacy clients and the same political polling contracts.
• Anzalone Liszt Grove Research: Top-tier Democratic polling firm led by John Anzalone, former Obama campaign pollster. Competes for the same presidential, congressional, and progressive advocacy engagements with overlapping service offerings in survey design and message testing.
• Public Policy Polling: Progressive-leaning automated polling firm known for rapid-cycle public surveys. Overlaps with LRP's survey research capability, particularly for advocacy messaging and rapid-response polling on progressive issues.

Emerging players

• Morning Consult: Tech-enabled polling and market intelligence firm. Competes with LRP on rapid-cycle polling and political brand tracking, with a heavier technology and syndicated-product tilt vs. LRP's bespoke research model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/celindalake
• Facebookfacebook.com/18526552150
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakeresearchpartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Research Partners