Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: LARRY SABATO

Virginia’s most notable political pundit, Sabato in 1998 founded the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, which hosts programs about civic education, electoral politics and youth leadership. In 2024, the center broke ground on a $10 million expansion, expected to open in early 2026.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball newsletter makes predictions about electoral races nationwide, including presidential races. The Crystal Ball has maintained a high accuracy rate, although its prediction of a 2016 Hillary Clinton win forced Sabato and staff to admit they “blew it.” In 2024, the prognosticators came to the conclusion that Kamala Harris would edge Donald Trump but noted, “It would not be a surprise if either candidate won.” In January, Sabato was part of a “Jeopardy!” clue during the Tournament of Champions.

A U.Va. graduate and Rhodes Scholar from Norfolk, Sabato serves on the advisory board for U.Va.’s Karsh Institute of Democracy and is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books and a four-time Emmy winner.

INTERESTING PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: The old Soviet Union in December 1976. There were telltale signs of a society already deteriorating badly under authoritarianism and communism.

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