Larry Sabato to deliver Culver Lecture

Simpson College (simpson.edu) announced today that professor Larry J. Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, will deliver the annual Culver Lecture at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.

The virtual event is free and open to the public via the Zoom video-conference application. Visit eventbrite.com to register.

Sabato is recognized as one of the nation’s most respected political analysts. A New York Times bestselling author and four-time Emmy winner, Sabato earned his doctorate from Oxford University. He appears on national and international TV channels multiple times a week, including FOX, CNN, MSNBC and CNN International. 

“The Culver Center is honored to have Dr. Larry Sabato deliver the 10th Annual Culver Lecture,” said Seth Andersen, director of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson College. “With exceptionally tight races shaping up in Iowa and across the country, Dr. Sabato will bring a wealth of insight and experience in election forecasting to the Simpson community.”

Sabato is the author or editor of two dozen books on American politics, including “The Blue Wave,” which explores the 2018 election and its outcome. He has taught more than 20,000 students during his 40-year career and the University of Virginia has given him its highest honor, The Thomas Jefferson Award.

Sabato heads up Sabato’s Crystal Ball, which the Pew Charitable Trust recognized as the No. 1 leader in the field of political prediction. A thorough statistical analysis of all 2018 prognosticators found that the Crystal Ball was the best. Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight.com was second.

Possessing an active presence on social media, Sabato’s Twitter feed, @LarrySabato, was named by Time Magazine as one of the 140 most influential. 

The Culver Lecture series was established in 2011 by the nonpartisan John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson College. The annual Culver Lecture features a bipartisan roster of prominent figures in politics, media and public affairs who reflect on broader trends in American government and public discourse. 

Previous Culver Lecture speakers include:

2011 – George McGovern, former senator from South Dakota and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee
2012 – Mark Shields, political columnist and PBS News Hour commentator
2013 – Linda Greenhouse, Supreme Court correspondent, New York Times 
2014 – Alan Simpson, former Republican senator from Wyoming
2015 – David Axelrod, political strategist and senior advisor to President Obama
2016 – Elizabeth Drew, political journalist and author
2017 – Chuck Hagel, former Secretary of Defense and Republican senator from Nebraska
2018 – Symone D. Sanders, political strategist, national press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, senior advisor to vice president Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign
2019 – Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and Fox News contributor

About the John C. Culver Public Policy Center
The John C. Culver Public Policy Center was established at Simpson College in 2010 to honor the service of John C. Culver, who served the people of Iowa for 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Simpson College strives to honor the example of John C. Culver by inspiring young people to pursue careers in public service with integrity and moral courage. The Center’s nonpartisan programs seek to educate and inspire young people to actively participate in our democracy and encourage them to consider public service as their life’s work.

Event Contact
Seth Andersen, Director of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center
Direct: 515-961-1354
Email: seth.andersen@simpson.edu
 
News Contact
Cathy Cole, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Communication
Direct: 515-961-1595
Email: cathy.cole@simpson.edu