Mark Mellman, Veteran Democratic Pollster and Strategist, Dies

Mark Mellman, the veteran pollster and strategist whose client list included some of the biggest names in Democratic politics, has died. 

Mellman’s death was first reported by Jewish Insider. According to the publication, Mellman’s passing followed a “long illness.” The American Association of Political Consultants confirmed Mellman’s death on Friday.

Throughout his decades-long career, Mellman played a leading role in the campaigns of 30 U.S. senators, a dozen governors, more than three dozen members of Congress and many state and local officials. 

Mellman got his start in politics as a graduate student at Yale University in 1981 when he was hired to work on former Rep. Bruce Morrison’s (D-Conn.) successful House bid. He went on to launch Information Associates in Washington, D.C., which eventually became the Mellman Group, the polling and strategy firm that Mellman led until his death.

Mellman earned a place on Campaigns & Elections inaugural list of “Rising Stars” in 1988, along with other storied political professionals, like David Axelrod, Celinda Lake and Alex Castellanos. 

He served as the lead pollster for John Kerry’s unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004, helped former Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hold his seat through a brutal reelection bid in 2010, aided former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s (D-N.D.) 2012 Senate run and advised Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid. 

Mellman also served as the president of the AAPC and helped found Democratic Majority for Israel in 2019. He was a vocal supporter of Israel and consulted for other Jewish and pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which he worked with in 2016 to oppose the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran.

The Mellman Group did not immediately respond to C&E’s request for comment on Friday morning.

News of Mellman’s death drew an outpouring of condolences on Friday. In a statement, AAPC President Kyle Roberts cast Mellman’s death as a loss for the entire political business. 

“We’ve lost a great leader in politics,” Roberts said. “Master at his profession, curious, smart, strategic. Mark Mellman was an icon in American politics for decades. Serving congressmen, governors, senators and winning some of the best campaigns in politics. Mark was a great person. His wit and humor were a joy to be around. I was proud to serve with him at the AAPC and his presence will be sorely missed. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife and children.”

Lapid, the leader of the Israeli Yesh Atid party, said that Mellman “embodied a love of the strong, successful, democratic Israel we believe in and worked tirelessly to secure the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States,” adding that “his contribution to the Jewish people is far greater than most people will ever know.”

“From the day we entered political life, he was with me every step of the way,” Lapid wrote on X. “He was one of the architects of the 2013 election success and of the campaign that led to us forming the government in 2021.” 

Democratic Majority for Israel, the group that Mellman helped establish, recalled the longtime strategist as “not only a deep policy mind but a passionate advocate for American democracy, its institutions, the rule of law, as well as for the security and prosperity of Israel.”

“Mark possessed a profound understanding for American and Jewish history,” the group said in a statement. “His unwavering commitment to Democratic values will continue to guide and inspire us. All of us at DMFI miss him dearly.” 

Mellman is survived by his wife, three children and grandchildren. A funeral will be held on Sunday at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, Md.

–Updated on Nov. 21, 2025 at 4:23 p.m. EST.