Welcome! Beginning in August 2026, I will be an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. Previously, I was part of the Department of Political Science at the University of Houston. I am also a faculty affiliate at the Center for Effective Lawmaking. I received a joint PhD in Politics and Social Policy from Princeton University.

I study representation, policymaking, and the influence of money in American legislatures (both state and federal). My research asks how recent political developments — changes like worsening polarization, the rise of social media, or the growing importance of money — shape contemporary politics. My work can be found in the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics, the Quarterly Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and elsewhere.

My book Paying for the Party: How Fundraising Demands Lead to Less Productive and Less Representative Legislatures was released in Summer 2026. The book explores the causes and consequences of growing fundraising demands in American legislatures. Political parties in both Congress and state legislatures frequently pressure members to raise and contribute large sums of money, rewarding the best fundraisers with powerful leadership and committee positions. Data spanning a range of institutions and years show that party fundraising hollows out the lawmaking capacity of legislatures and contributes to representational deficits at the top of the party hierarchy.

Other ongoing research covers topics such as the connection between rhetoric and representation, the influence of interest groups and donors, and the strategic use of conspiracy theories by political elites. More details about these projects can be found on the Research page of my website and on my CV. To see what classes I teach and check out syllabi/other course materials, visit my Teaching page.

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