Politico Teams with U.Va.’s Center for Politics to Offer Interactive Election Ratings

The University of Virginia Center for Politics and Politico have entered into a media partnership to offer Politico’s readers interactive ratings from “Sabato’s Crystal Ball” on U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and gubernatorial races.

The new feature on Politico’s website shows which way the center believes a race is leaning each week, as well as the logic behind changes in ratings.

“Partnering with Politico is an exciting next step for the Crystal Ball, and we look forward to contributing our race ratings and analysis to one of the top political news outlets in the country,” said U.Va. political scientist Larry J. Sabato, who directs the Center for Politics.

“This partnership with the Center for Politics adds a new dimension to Politico’s agenda-setting coverage of congressional elections,” said Mike Zapler, national politics editor for Politico. “It provides readers an easy-to-access barometer of House and Senate races, as well as additional analysis of the contests that will decide control of Congress.”

The Crystal Ball also will play a role in a series of four Politico polls on the 2014 midterm elections, the second of which is being released Monday. Produced in partnership with SocialSphere Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the polls survey likely voters in the states and districts with the most competitive Senate and House races, as ranked by the center.

The ratings and polls are housed on Politico’s Election Central, which also features a full 2014 primary calendar and map, real-time election results with an auto-tweet feature, and a comprehensive and customizable polling center.

The Crystal Ball-Politico partnership is just the latest collaboration between the University of Virginia Center for Politics and the widely read political news outlet. Earlier this year, Sabato started writing a biweekly column for Politico Magazine.

The Center for Politics also has opened a Washington, D.C. office, led by Kyle Kondik, the center’s communications director and managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Kondik will work to expand the center’s reach in Washington and also build relationships and contacts to enhance the Crystal Ball’s nationally recognized coverage of American politics and elections.

While the Crystal Ball’s ratings will be featured on Politico, there will be no change to the existing Crystal Ball website: Readers will still be able to find the latest Crystal Ball stories, ratings and ratings changes at www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball.