Wedgewood Polling acknowledged Tuesday night that it had used fabricated numbers in surveys it presented as political polling. In its statement, the group described the work as an experiment intended to highlight weak oversight and low entry barriers in the polling industry. It said the effort was not meant to influence an election.
The admission drew criticism from Democrats whose campaigns or races were affected by the surveys. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said the numbers hurt her campaign during her primary contest against Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. McMorrow said donations to her campaign fell and that reporters repeatedly contacted her about leaving the race. She said people had invested time and money over an extended period and argued that news organizations should scrutinize whether polls are legitimate.
Jennifer Holdsworth, a Democratic strategist who said she ran a super PAC supporting McMorrow, said donors used the poll to withdraw funding while the campaign was already being outspent. The source did not independently verify the extent of the reported funding effects.
El-Sayed advanced from Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, while McMorrow and Stevens were also among the candidates in the contest. El-Sayed, a former state public health official, is now competing against former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican, for Michigan’s open Senate seat, according to the supplied report.
Wedgewood’s surveys also featured in coverage of Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race. One showed Democratic candidate Francesca Hong with an advantage over Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany. Hong lost the Democratic primary to a candidate described in the report as backed by the party establishment.
The New York Times and Decision Desk HQ had included Wedgewood surveys in their work and later removed them. The Times said it took 15 polls from June through October out of its data after the firm’s admission. It also said Wedgewood had answered questions during the outlet’s vetting process about pollsters, sampling and weighting methods, respondent contact, and funding.
Decision Desk HQ said it removed 17 Wedgewood polls from its projections. It said the removals did not change its projected totals or estimates of which party would control the House or Senate.
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis condemned the firm in comments to Fox News Digital and called for those responsible to face consequences, including possible prosecution. Those remarks are his allegations and demands, not a report of any criminal charge or legal finding. Nellis also raised questions about money collected through a GoFundMe associated with a group called “Wedgewood Polls.” The fundraiser sought $5,000 for polling in Nebraska’s gubernatorial and Senate races and had collected $500, according to the source.
FiftyPlusOne, an independent outlet, said it was investigating Wedgewood when the firm issued its statement. Co-founder G. Elliott Morris wrote on X that the outlet had contacted the firm for comment before planning to publish its findings. Former Obama staffer Tommy Vietor also criticized Wedgewood’s actions on X.
Other Wedgewood surveys included a July poll of Texas voters that reported James Talarico ahead of state Attorney General Ken Paxton among Hispanic respondents, 64% to 30%. Because the firm has admitted fabricating polling data, its reported results should not be treated as reliable measurements of voter opinion.
The episode comes amid broader political debate over polling accuracy. The supplied report notes that 2016 polling often showed Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump, while the election result differed. It also says political polls are receiving heightened scrutiny ahead of the November fight for control of Congress. Fox News Digital said it sought additional comment from McMorrow’s state Senate office, Stevens’ campaign and strategist Lis Smith.
