Skip to content
RollCall logo

Staff

David Winston

The Latest From David Winston
A man unties his dog after voting in D.C. in 2022. Candidates won’t win over voters with endless attack ads, Winston writes.

Three campaign beliefs that need to end in 2024

By David Winston
Posted September 18, 2024 at 6:00am
California has been a reliable stronghold for Democrats, but the margins outside the state are what counts, at least in recent presidential elections, Winston writes. Above, the California delegation casts its votes during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20.

The popular vote: California versus the rest of the country

By David Winston
Posted September 11, 2024 at 6:00am
A shopper scans coupons in a grocery store in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2024.

The economic case Trump needs to make 

By David Winston
Posted August 21, 2024 at 6:00am
Donald Trump walks toward the stage to speak at a rally at Montana State University on Aug. 9.

The path to victory for Trump is policy, not personality

By David Winston
Posted August 14, 2024 at 6:00am
One of the most difficult things for any politician to do is to convince voters their top issue is not really the most important — and that’s the challenge for Kamala Harris, Winston writes.

Kamala Harris is trying to avoid the No. 1 issue: inflation

By David Winston
Posted July 31, 2024 at 6:00am
Former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage by Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania.

The political system is blinking red

By David Winston
Posted July 17, 2024 at 6:01am
President Joe Biden gives a thumbs-up as leaves Harrisburg International Airport on July 7 after holding several campaign events in Pennsylvania.

The state of Joe Biden: Hope isn’t a strategy

By David Winston
Posted July 10, 2024 at 6:00am
California’s dominant role in winning the popular vote for Democrats is clearly growing, Winston writes.

Want to understand the Electoral College? Just look at California

By David Winston
Posted June 12, 2024 at 6:00am
Joe Biden seems to be taking a page out of Hillary Clinton’s playbook, Winston writes. Above, the pair attend a ceremony on Capitol Hill in 2016.

Is Biden channeling Hillary Clinton’s campaign strategy? 

By David Winston
Posted June 5, 2024 at 6:01am
Joe Biden has lost sight of how he won in 2020, Winston writes. Above, the president is seen on May 3 at a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony.

Biden and Trump: We can’t possibly lose to this guy

By David Winston
Posted May 15, 2024 at 6:00am
New data from the latest Winning the Issues survey explores how voters think colleges and universities have handled pro-Palestinian protests. Above, an encampment is seen at George Washington University on April 25.

How voters are responding to the latest campus protests

By David Winston
Posted May 8, 2024 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden leaves the Capitol on March 15. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Biden takes aim at Trump-era tax cuts — and his own campaign promise

By David Winston
Posted May 1, 2024 at 6:02am
Unidentified men carry a model of Iran's first-ever hypersonic missile, Fattah, past a mosque during a celebration of Iran's attack on Israel. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

‘Unholy alliance’: Congress needs to act as global crises threaten West

By David Winston
Posted April 17, 2024 at 6:00am
Voting signs for New York’s 3rd District special election are pictured outside City Hall in Glen Cove, N.Y., on Feb. 4.

The price of hyper-partisanship: Confidence in elections undermined

By David Winston
Posted April 10, 2024 at 6:00am
Meat products are pictured at a grocery store in Washington D.C., on Feb. 14. Nothing typifies voter frustration with President Joe Biden’s economic policies more than the rise in the cost of food, Winston writes.

Biden’s ‘historic’ results aren’t what he thinks

By David Winston
Posted March 20, 2024 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress on March 7.

Biden’s State of the Union was beyond belief. Just ask voters

By David Winston
Posted March 13, 2024 at 6:01am
An aide takes down a sign after a rally by Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley during the District of Columbia's Republican presidential primary at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., on March 1. Haley won the D.C. primary, but ultimately fell short and suspended her campaign on Wednesday. Where her supporters go will be a key question in the general election, David Winston writes.

Trump’s next test: Go beyond the base

By David Winston
Posted March 6, 2024 at 3:26pm
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s ability to attract independents could spell trouble for Donald Trump in November.

The number Haley, Trump need to worry about heading into Super Tuesday

By David Winston
Posted February 28, 2024 at 6:02am
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is seen after the Senate luncheons in the Capitol on Nov. 29, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Is this the year Montana Republicans oust Tester?

By David Winston
Posted February 14, 2024 at 6:00am
Campaign signs for Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Nikki Haley beside a sign asking voters to write in President Joe Biden before the recent New Hampshire primary. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A threat to democracy no one is talking about

By David Winston
Posted February 7, 2024 at 6:00am, Updated May 13, 2024 at 6:27pm
Cartons of eggs are at a Whole Foods supermarket in McLean, Va., on Nov. 22, 2023.

Bad news for Biden on inflation: Voters have long memories

By David Winston
Posted January 31, 2024 at 6:00am
Donald Trump signs next to Nikki Haley signs outside of Milford High School in Milford, N.H.

For Republicans, two outcomes from the New Hampshire primary

By David Winston
Posted January 24, 2024 at 3:08pm
Former President Donald Trump, with sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., at a watch party during the 2024 Iowa caucuses Monday in Des Moines. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

What was on Iowa voters’ minds as Trump rolled to victory?

By David Winston
Posted January 17, 2024 at 6:00am
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley participates in a Fox News Town Hall with moderators Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier on Jan. 8 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Iowa vs. New Hampshire: Which matters more in predicting presidential nominees?

By David Winston
Posted January 10, 2024 at 6:00am
(From left) Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York at a Republican news conference on Nov. 14. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

A tale of House Republicans: The best and worst of times

By David Winston
Posted December 6, 2023 at 6:00am
A sign on Election Day earlier this month at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Is 2024 the year for a third-party candidate to break through with dissatisfied voters?

By David Winston
Posted November 29, 2023 at 6:00am
Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, at a GOP event on Nov. 8, 2022.

Here’s why Republicans underperformed on Election Day — yet again

By David Winston
Posted November 15, 2023 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden arrives at the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 14.

Another day, another bleak poll for Joe Biden

By David Winston
Posted November 8, 2023 at 5:59am
(From left) Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., Bob Good, R-Va., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., sit together during a speaker vote on the House floor on Friday.

Time for House Republicans to jump off the hamster wheel

By David Winston
Posted October 25, 2023 at 6:00am
From left: Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (back to camera) and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer talk after Jordan did not secure the speakership on Tuesday.

The one thing that’s going right for House Republicans

By David Winston
Posted October 18, 2023 at 6:00am
Israeli troops on the ground Wednesday near Sderot, as fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas continues there.

A day of evil and the global implications

By David Winston
Posted October 11, 2023 at 2:41pm
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on Bidenomics and Republican economic policies in Maryland on Sept. 14.

Latest inflation data shows Americans are still not buying Bidenomics

By David Winston
Posted September 20, 2023 at 6:00am
A gas station in Virginia shows still-high prices last month.

Voters ask: Is anything working in America?

By David Winston
Posted September 13, 2023 at 6:00am
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley got a small bump from the first GOP presidential primary debate.

Why GOP candidates should go positive at next 2024 debate

By David Winston
Posted September 6, 2023 at 6:30am
Gas prices are expected to again rise, warns columnist David Winston.

Voters just aren’t buying ‘Bidenomics’

By David Winston
Posted August 2, 2023 at 6:30am
President Joe Biden addresses the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Memorial Day 2023. As the 2024 election approaches, unpredictability seems to be the prevailing theme.

The chaos of the 2024 election campaign

By David Winston
Posted July 19, 2023 at 6:00am
GOP primary voters need to think about which presidential candidate can help deliver the party both chambers in Congress.

Republican presidential primary: More at stake than just the White House

By David Winston
Posted July 12, 2023 at 6:00am
Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council, briefs reporters at the White House about President Biden's Wednesday economic speech.

‘Bidenomics’ won’t fix president’s economic problems

By David Winston
Posted June 28, 2023 at 6:00am
Former President Donald Trump watches a video of President Joe Biden playing during a political rally in November in Florida.

Trump vs. Biden II: The rematch voters don’t want

By David Winston
Posted June 21, 2023 at 6:00am
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik conduct a news conference after the House passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31.

Debt deal: Biden miscalculates, McCarthy wins 

By David Winston
Posted June 7, 2023 at 6:01am
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., at a news conference with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on March 22.

Debt talks: Why Republicans shouldn’t allow tax increases on the table

By David Winston
Posted May 24, 2023 at 6:00am
Former President Donald Trump playing golf on May 3 at his Trump Turnberry course in South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Will 2024 be a personality contest or a policy debate?

By David Winston
Posted May 17, 2023 at 6:00am
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reported little progress toward a debt deal after a White House meeting Tuesday.

Debt talks: Fiscal discipline vs. no negotiation

By David Winston
Posted May 10, 2023 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday.

Trillion-dollar deficits: Biden’s new normal

By David Winston
Posted April 26, 2023 at 2:38pm
Gas prices over $5 a gallon are displayed at a filling station on April 12 in San Rafael, Calif.

Biden’s Ireland trip overshadowed by events — foreign and domestic

By David Winston
Posted April 19, 2023 at 6:00am
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise speaks during a news conference after the House passed the “Lower Energy Costs Act” on March 30.

House Republicans’ energy bill deserves a second look

By David Winston
Posted April 5, 2023 at 6:15am
President Joe Biden addresses the media earlier this month. Every president since Jimmy Carter has had a lower inflation rate than Biden at this point in his presidency, and the last three scored under Biden by more than 10 percent, Winston writes.

Introducing the ‘Presidential Inflation Rate’: Biden trails only Carter

By David Winston
Posted March 15, 2023 at 3:08pm
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday.

Voters are smarter than Biden thinks

By David Winston
Posted March 8, 2023 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden showed little empathy, no sense of urgency and a surprisingly low amount of compassion during a recent interview with David Muir of ABC News, Winston writes. Above, Biden speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in February.

Biden’s roller coaster of catastrophes

By David Winston
Posted March 1, 2023 at 6:00am
We have seen former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley attack Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attack Haley, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu attack former President Donald Trump — and the presidential race is barely underway, Winston writes. Above, Haley discusses her bid last week.

For 2024 GOP field, it’s time for Reagan’s ‘Eleventh Commandment’

By David Winston
Posted February 22, 2023 at 6:30am
President Joe Biden may have thought he scored a win with his comments on Social Security and Medicare on Tuesday night, but he was wrong, Winston writes. Above, Biden makes his way out of the Capitol after delivering the State of the Union.

Is Joe Biden out of touch, or is he just cynical?

By David Winston
Posted February 8, 2023 at 7:12pm
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi crossed a line, and now Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries can’t go back, Winston writes.

Pelosi started a war Jeffries has to finish 

By David Winston
Posted January 25, 2023 at 6:00am
Democrats and the media should stop focusing on the slimness of Kevin McCarthy’s margin and start understanding why they lost, Winston writes.

In elections, a win is a win. And Republicans won

By David Winston
Posted January 18, 2023 at 6:00am
Governing by shakedown doesn’t work, Winston writes. Above, Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Scott Perry and Rep. Matt Gaetz walk to a meeting in the Capitol on Wednesday night.

The ‘spoiler caucus’ is creating chaos

By David Winston
Posted January 5, 2023 at 2:40pm
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema seems to understand that independents are the voters to watch when it comes to both parties’ chances in 2024, Winston writes.

Sinema aligns with independents. Smart!

By David Winston
Posted December 14, 2022 at 6:00am
Senate candidate Herschel Walker should have won the first time around, Winston writes — but it wasn’t about mail-in ballots or election malevolence. Above, Walker speaks at a campaign rally on Nov. 4.

Georgia settles the Senate again

By David Winston
Posted December 7, 2022 at 6:00am
Independents don’t respond well to attack ads, and strategists care too much about the base, Winston writes. Above, voters wait to fill out ballots on Election Day in Washington, D.C.

It was all about the independents, again

By David Winston
Posted November 16, 2022 at 5:59am
House Democratic leaders have had some creative things to say in recent days about inflation, Winston writes. Above, Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, left, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer.

Democrats are haunted by inflation

By David Winston
Posted October 27, 2022 at 6:00am
Republicans have a real opportunity to win the Hispanic vote, but only if they understand the issues that matter, Winston writes. Above, a voting sign is seen at a polling place in New York in August.

Hispanics: The newest swing voter

By David Winston
Posted October 5, 2022 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden can spin the numbers all he wants, but inflation is still a big problem, Winston writes.

Why Biden’s economic spin doesn’t hold up

By David Winston
Posted September 28, 2022 at 6:00am
Despite the best efforts of President Joe Biden, people aren’t swayed by esoteric discussions about inflation when the price of eggs is up, Winston writes.

Biden’s fix for inflation: Process, not progress

By David Winston
Posted September 21, 2022 at 6:00am
Joe Biden won in 2020 because he won the political middle. Now he’s playing to his base, Winston writes.

Independents will make or break Biden and the Democrats in November

By David Winston
Posted September 14, 2022 at 6:00am
Democrats like Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney, shown with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are playing a dangerous game, Winston writes.

Democrats say they’re saving democracy. So why are they bending it?

By David Winston
Posted September 7, 2022 at 6:00am
Sen. Joe Manchin needs to answer some questions now that he’s bought into his party’s empty promises, Winston writes.

Say it ain’t so, Joe Manchin

By David Winston
Posted August 3, 2022 at 6:00am
Perhaps President Joe Biden ought to look beyond his economic circle and listen to a wider group, Winston writes.

Voters already believe we’re in recession

By David Winston
Posted July 27, 2022 at 6:00am
As Joe Biden heads to the Middle East, he leaves behind a Democratic Party in turmoil, Winston writes. Above, the president speaks about gas prices in June.

Joe Biden’s presidency is out of gas

By David Winston
Posted July 13, 2022 at 6:00am
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have a lot to figure out before November’s midterms, writes Winston.

These 4 questions will haunt Democrats this summer

By David Winston
Posted June 29, 2022 at 6:00am
Voters thought they were electing a president who could guide the country through rough waters, but what they got was an old-school Keynesian, writes Winston.

Recession or no recession: Who’s a voter to believe?

By David Winston
Posted June 23, 2022 at 6:00am
Americans have reached a staggering level of dissatisfaction not only with President Joe Biden, but with government as a whole, Winston writes.

Biden unites country, but it’s not what you think

By David Winston
Posted June 8, 2022 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden can write all the Wall Street Journal op-eds he wants, but that doesn’t mean he has a real plan, Winston writes. Above, Biden meets with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday.

Biden’s new ‘transition’ economy is just ‘Build Back Better 3.0’

By David Winston
Posted June 1, 2022 at 6:00am
For more than a year, Gov. Brian Kemp and others in Georgia have drawn the former president’s ire. But Republican voters have moved on, Winston writes. Above, Kemp celebrates his nomination Tuesday night.

A third Trump miss in Georgia

By David Winston
Posted May 26, 2022 at 7:00am
We’re beginning to see the Biden effect extend beyond the president’s own unpopularity to both congressional Democrats and the federal government itself, Winston writes.

The Biden effect is real

By David Winston
Posted May 18, 2022 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden’s prescription for what ails the economy is really just old-school Keynesian economics wrapped up in new green packaging, Winston writes.

Biden talks inflation: Another swing and a miss

By David Winston
Posted May 11, 2022 at 6:00am
The coming midterm election isn’t looking good for the party of President Joe Biden, seen here behind his former boss at the State of the Union in 2009.

Will Biden’s 2022 midterms be worse than Obama’s in 2010?

By David Winston
Posted May 4, 2022 at 6:00am
Polling shows Democrats are still losing on crime and safety, even as leaders try to move past “defund the police,” Winston writes.

‘Defund the police’ still haunts Democrats

By David Winston
Posted April 27, 2022 at 6:00am
Policemen and city workers load a vehicle Tuesday with bodies found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha after Russian troops withdrew.

The war in Ukraine changed this week

By David Winston
Posted April 6, 2022 at 6:30am
President Joe Biden arrives to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before paying respects to the late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, whose remains were lying in state in Statuary Hall on Tuesday.

Biden: Crisis of credibility

By David Winston
Posted March 30, 2022 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden greets Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Friday before addressing the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Philadelphia.

What did Democrats deliver?

By David Winston
Posted March 16, 2022 at 6:00am
A pumpjack pumps oil near Bakersfield, Texas, last April. The Biden administration’s “lead-from-behind” policies are becoming more alarming, Winston writes.

Joe Biden’s ‘reckless disregard’ of reality

By David Winston
Posted March 9, 2022 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden told lawmakers at the State of the Union address Tuesday that "COVID-19 need no longer control our lives."

Biden’s State of the Union: a swing and a miss

By David Winston
Posted March 2, 2022 at 4:19pm
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on developments in Ukraine and announces sanctions against Russia from the White House on Tuesday.

Biden always behind the curve

By David Winston
Posted February 23, 2022 at 6:00am
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., holds a sign about high inflation after the Republican Senate luncheon in the Russell Senate Office Building on Tuesday. Joining him, clockwise from left, were Sen. Roy Blunt, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sens. John Thune, Rick Scott and Joni Ernst.

Is time the Democrats’ friend or enemy?

By David Winston
Posted February 16, 2022 at 6:00am
Ronald Reagan is sworn in by Chief Justice Warren Burger during his 1981 inauguration. Reagan's optimism in politics is largely absent in the current environment of grievance and anger, David Winston writes.

Grievance is no substitute for ideas

By David Winston
Posted February 9, 2022 at 6:00am
Former President Barack Obama hugs President Joe Biden at Biden's inauguration in 2021. Biden is following in the footsteps of Obama in the run-up to the midterm elections, David Winston writes.

Midterm voters have a way of reminding presidents what to focus on

By David Winston
Posted February 2, 2022 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden, right, appearing here on Jan. 6, 2022, with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, center, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is in negative territory with the public on its top issues, David Winston writes.

New Democratic strategy: Repackage the BBB and expect a different result

By David Winston
Posted January 26, 2022 at 6:00am
For those skeptical of Joe Biden’s ability to deliver on his inauguration promise to “always level with you,” the past year has proved them right, Winston writes.

Biden’s economic message needs a reality check

By David Winston
Posted January 12, 2022 at 6:15am
Joe Biden needs to accept that not being Donald Trump isn’t the same thing as being president, Winston writes.

Biden goes from a contrast to Trump to a contrast to competency

By David Winston
Posted December 8, 2021 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden, here with Speaker Nancy Pelosi in October, has put his Build Back Better agenda first, ahead of issues that Americans care most about, Winston writes.

As Biden repeats Obama’s mistakes, get ready for 2010 redux

By David Winston
Posted December 1, 2021 at 6:00am
In Virginia, Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin’s positive strategy focused on bread-and-butter issues and education helped him build a winning coalition of conservatives, moderates and independents, Winston writes.

Democrats can’t blame ‘huge bummer’ in Virginia on turnout

By David Winston
Posted November 10, 2021 at 6:00am
Glenn Youngkin built a winning coalition in Virginia based on offering solutions to kitchen table issues, Winston writes.

Kamala Harris is right: Virginia result will resonate in 2022, 2024 and beyond

By David Winston
Posted November 3, 2021 at 9:12pm
A recent debate remark about education by Democrat Terry McAuliffe, here in 2019, has altered the dynamics of the Virginia governor’s race, Winston writes.

4 things to watch in the Virginia governor’s race

By David Winston
Posted October 27, 2021 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden has forgotten the lesson of 2010, when President Barack Obama prioritized enacting the Affordable Care Act over repairing the economy and cost his party the House, Winston writes.

Biden ignores voters’ No. 1 issue, just like Obama did

By David Winston
Posted October 20, 2021 at 6:30am
President Joe Biden’s desire to create a transformational legacy for himself is blinding him to reality, Winston writes.

Time for Biden to get out of the Build Back Better bubble

By David Winston
Posted October 13, 2021 at 6:00am
Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin put representing their states above ideological adherence, Winston writes.

Beating up on Manchin and Sinema won’t fix the Biden agenda

By David Winston
Posted October 6, 2021 at 6:00am
Washington has perhaps never seen two members of the same party as far apart in their economic beliefs and priorities as Sens. Bernie Sanders, left, and Joe Manchin, Winston writes.

Odd couple Sanders and Manchin are 630 centuries apart

By David Winston
Posted September 29, 2021 at 6:00am
Republican Larry Elder’s base-focused campaign didn’t help him much in deep-blue California, Winston writes.

GOP has to make 2022 about policy, not personality

By David Winston
Posted September 22, 2021 at 6:00am
Instead of changing course amid a big slide in the polls, Joe Biden is doubling down on progressive policies and politics, Winston writes.

Biden’s dug a hole for himself, but he keeps digging

By David Winston
Posted September 15, 2021 at 6:00am
President Joe Biden’s promised “return to normal” now seems as likely as his promises of unity and bipartisanship, Winston writes.

Biden’s summer of joy turns into frustration

By David Winston
Posted August 4, 2021 at 6:00am
An empty hallway is pictured at Heather Hills Elementary School in Bowie, Md., in 2020. For anyone concerned about our students’ future, failing to reopen schools this fall is not an option, Winston writes.

Kids need schools open. So does the economy

By David Winston
Posted July 21, 2021 at 6:00am
Voters fill out their ballots at a polling location in Hillsboro, Va., in 2018. Independent voters have made the difference in recent elections, and expect that to continue next year, Winston writes.

Election Day 2022 will be Independents’ Day

By David Winston
Posted July 14, 2021 at 6:00am