Whit Ayres is a leading Washington, D.C., political consultant with over 30 years of experience in polling and survey research for high-profile political campaigns and associations. He is the author of 2016 and Beyond, which illustrated the ways in which new candidates, new messages and a new tone could help Republicans win the presidency in the New America. As founder and president of North Star Opinion Research, a national public opinion and public affairs research firm located in Alexandria, Virginia, Whit provides message development advice and strategic insights to high-level political clients. The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) named Ayres Republican Pollster of the Year in 2012 and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2024. Whit’s comments and analysis appear in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and numerous regional newspapers as well as National Public Radio. Whit founded his company after a career as a tenured professor in the Department of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina. Whit is a graduate of Davidson College and holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.