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A polling company that released widely shared surveys about the Los Angeles mayoral race and the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin has shut down after admitting the polls were fabricated. Median Strategies, which described itself as an independent polling and research firm, announced on its website this week that all of its previously published polls were fake and have been withdrawn.
According to a statement on the company’s website, Median Strategies was created as a “short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification." The company said it will not publish any additional polls and is not seeking publicity or interviews for the individuals involved.
The now-withdrawn polls had a significant impact. One of the fake surveys showed Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, leading city council member Nithya Raman by nearly 12 points ahead of the November runoff. The poll, which claimed to survey 560 Angelenos, was amplified on social media and reported by some news outlets. Bass initially praised the results on X, saying they reflected her campaign’s momentum, but her campaign later called for an investigation into “any bad faith attempts to influence elections” after learning of the hoax.
Raman’s campaign criticized Bass’s team for sharing the poll without verifying the source, and Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia, who supports Raman, called the poll a “push poll.” Both Bass and Raman advanced to the November runoff after the June 2 primary, with Bass receiving 34 percent and Raman 29 percent of the vote. Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star, came in third.
The same firm also released a poll in Wisconsin showing state representative Francesca Hong with a 20-point lead in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, but Hong ultimately lost the race to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Median Strategies stated it was not affiliated with any candidate or political action committee and reiterated that the polls were part of a research project on misinformation.
The revelation has sparked debate over the role of polls in shaping political narratives and the need for greater oversight and verification. Calls for investigations into attempts to influence elections are ongoing as candidates and officials assess the impact of the fabricated surveys. There is no word yet on whether law enforcement or election officials will pursue charges or new regulations in response to the incident.