Arnon Mishkin

Arnon Mishkin is an American election analyst and director of the Fox News Decision Desk, the team responsible for calling races on election night. Mishkin is a management consultant, media personality, and news analyst for Fox News, known for his expertise in election projections, political consulting, and data science. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, providing a foundation for a career spanning political consulting, corporate strategy, and broadcast journalism.

Mishkin began his political career in New York, working under political consultant David Garth on campaigns for Democratic Party candidates, including Jay Rockefeller for governor and senator from West Virginia and Mark Dayton’s Senate campaign in Minnesota. In addition to his political work, Mishkin has experience in news media, starting as a general editor at NBC News before joining Fox Corporation. Over a consulting career of more than two decades, Mishkin has advised media companies on strategy and marketing. He has served as a partner at The Boston Consulting Group and Mitchell Madison Group and leads Mishkin Associates as managing director, advising clients on core strategy, marketing, and targeting.

Mishkin has led the Fox News election night decision team, utilizing voter polling, sample precincts, and vote results to estimate outcomes of statewide and congressional contests. His role drew national attention during the presidential election when the Fox News Decision Desk called the closely contested state of Ohio early for Barack Obama, leading to on-air debate and public scrutiny. Following the election, Mishkin and his team, in collaboration with Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center, developed the Fox News Voter Analysis/AP VoteCast, an alternative to the network Exit Poll, providing a comprehensive snapshot of American voter attitudes.

On election night in November, Mishkin’s team called Arizona for Joe Biden before any other major news outlet. The call prompted direct responses from political campaigns and senior advisers, but Fox News maintained its decision, underscoring Mishkin’s data-driven approach to election analysis. Mishkin is recognized for calling races early and accurately, often drawing attention from viewers and political figures.

Beyond his work at Fox News, Mishkin has served as an adjunct professor at Northeastern University and as a Resident Fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. With over four decades of involvement in American politics, Mishkin leads the Fox News Election Decision Team, responsible for analyzing election and polling results and developing models to project outcomes. His ability to interpret complex electoral data and deliver clear on-air analysis has established him as a leading voice in American political media and election analytics.