Pizza & Politics: Voter Vibes into 2026

Sponsored by the Lebermann Foundation, this edition of Pizza & Politics brings together two leading voices in political research and public opinion. 

Dr. Ross Hunt

Ross translates high-level strategies into tactics that transform public opinion. With over a decade and a half of experience in survey research, data analytics, and campaign management, he has run polls in all 50 states and targeted voters from Newport News in Virginia to the Central Valley of California. As co-founder of the largest political consulting firm in the Lone Star State, Ross pioneered a new approach to survey research and modeling, taking advanced techniques of survey research and voter modeling that had previously only been used for federal races and bringing them down ballot.

Ross is founding Hunt Research to bring those same cutting-edge survey tools, voter scoring, and audience creation to candidates, committees, causes and companies all around the nation. Ross lives with his better half and their two beautiful children in Dallas, TX. He and his family can often be found hiking the Mountain West or reading Plutarch or Xenophon. Ross is a graduate of St. John’s College, and he received his Ph.D. in Political Theory from the University of Dallas in 2016. He is a 2017 Lincoln Fellow of the Claremont Institute. He is also an amateur marathon runner, having won the Fort Worth Marathon in 2021.

Dr. Sergio Garcia-Rios

Dr. Garcia-Rios was born and raised in Durango, México, but considers El Paso, Texas, his second home. His research investigates the formation and transformation of Latino identities as well as the political implications of these transformations. He also examines voter turnout, political participation and public opinion, especially among Latino immigrants. 

Dr. Garcia-Rios's other academic interests include issues related to Latinos and the Voting Rights Act, border issues and border research, and the politics of Mexico. He served as Director of Polling and Data at Univision News.