Texas Tech Experts Available to Discuss Elections

With Election Day around the corner, Texas Tech University experts can talk about various aspects of politics, including expressive politics, political communications and the science behind it, and American elections and southern politics.

American Elections and Southern Politics

Seth McKee, associate professor in political science,
(806) 834-1880 or sc.mckee@ttu.edu

• McKee can speak about U.S. House and Senate elections, Texas politics and statewide races, including the governor's race.
• McKee's recently published research includes white conservative voting for minority Republican candidates in Senate and gubernatorial elections, voting behavior in different parts of the South, and factors influencing the passage of voter ID laws in states. To view more of McKee's research, click here.

Science and the Study of Political Communications

Glenn Cummins, director of the Center for Communication Research,
(806) 834-3117 or glenn.cummins@ttu.edu

• Cummins can discuss how science can be applied to the study of political communications content, including commercials and debates.
• Cummins has assisted in numerous studies conducted using eye tracking, psychophysiology and continuous response testing.

Expressive Politics and Consumerism

Melissa Gotlieb, assistant professor in the College of Media and Communication,
(806) 834-2998, or melissa.gotlieb@ttu.edu

• Gotlieb can discuss expressive politics and consumerism, which includes making eco-friendly purchases as a type of political statement.

Political Communications

Erik Bucy, Formby Regents Professor of Strategic Communication,
(806) 834-3346 or erik.bucy@ttu.edu

Melissa Gotlieb, assistant professor in the College of Media and Communication,
(806) 834-2998 or melissa.gotlieb@ttu.edu

Bryan McLaughlin, assistant professor in advertising,
(806) 834-4873 or bryan.mclaughlin@ttu.edu

• Bucy, Gotlieb and McLaughlin can speak about how Republicans feel about their chances of winning control of Congress and how Democrats are more active politically during this election.
• Bucy, Gotlieb and McLaughlin are currently researching Republicans' optimism about taking control of Congress, Democrats being more active politically this election, the willingness among Democrats and Republicans to share power and how different political parties feel about how the Ebola crisis is being handled as well as views on Ebola's media coverage.

Judicial Elections, Redistricting, Courts and Electoral Behavior

Mark McKenzie, assistant professor of political science,
(806) 834-3665, or mark.mckenzie@ttu.edu

• McKenzie can discuss judicial races, including Texas judicial races, local legislative races and the governor's race.
• McKenzie oversaw a telephone survey conducted by political science students in the Earl Survey Research Center regarding hot button issues, including voter ID laws, same-sex marriage and who is likely to become Texas' next governor.
• He also recently published several papers, including “Testing Voter responses to New Style Judicial Campaign Appeals: What Works – Policy Promotion or Experience” and “Polarizing Attacks or Sleepy Affairs? Campaign Messaging in State Supreme Court Campaigns in 2012 and 2013.”

Candidate Characteristics on Voters' Voting Choices

Gregg Murray, associate professor of political science,
(806) 834-4017, or g.murray@ttu.edu

• Murray can talk about children inheriting their parents' political beliefs and the effect of candidate characteristics, in particular physical characteristics, on voters' voting choices, or caveman politics.
• Murray's recent research includes Caveman Politics. For more information on his research, click here.

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