Nicole McCleskey is a Partner with Public Opinion Strategies. Nicole has been with POS since 1998, starting as a project director and working her way up to partner.

Nicole has built a successful practice in polling and advising gubernatorial races around the country. In the 2024 election, Nicole helped the RGA’s efforts to elect Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire in the only competitive gubernatorial race of the year. In the 2022 election cycle Nicole was the pollster for the re-election campaigns of Governors Greg Abbott (TX) and Kim Reynolds (IA), in addition to polling in 11 additional gubernatorial elections for the RGA and other independent expenditure efforts.

Based in New Mexico, Nicole is at the forefront of politics and research in the Western United States, with specific expertise on border issues and Hispanic voters. In one of the most competitive races of the 2022 and 2024 cycles, Nicole was part of Juan Ciscomani’s (AZ-06) congressional team that helped secure victory in both elections.

Nicole also focuses on the views of women voters and her work on the abortion issue has helped candidates and campaigns better understand how to navigate the issue successfully.

Her political experience is complemented by an extensive public affairs research resume that includes crisis management, strategic planning, corporate image development, and media testing. Through this body of work Nicole has built a strong public policy background with focus areas that include health care, energy, education, and a range of other complex topics.

A California native, Nicole now resides with her family in Albuquerque, NM. Nicole is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College, with master’s degrees from USC and George Washington University.