iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

This last feature - highest-impact giving - is under development. Please weigh in as we polish it up and get it ready for wide distribution! samwang.substack.com/p/senate-mon...

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But you have to use all the data: national trends, local history, and where available, polls. Use case: here in New Jersey, we learn that the swing districts are not just NJ-7 (everyone here already knows that), but also NJ-2. samwang.substack.com/p/catching-a... Pictured: NJ-2's Zack Mullock (D).

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I've long held that polling data is very useful to guide your action. Call it Democracy Moneyball. Here, I dive into how the closest races and the smallest states and districts are where you can make the most difference in your get-out-the-vote activity. samwang.substack.com/p/maximizing...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Yes, turnout is critical! But let's be smart about it. At the Electoral Innovation Lab, we have a resource for you: Vote Maximizer. We use demographics and polling data to show you where you will have the most impact on the ultimate outcome. Not all votes will land equally. votemaximizer.org

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Catching a wave in south Jersey: what happens when the rising tide of sentiment reaches New Jersey? Some surprises. NJ-07: no longer a swing district. NJ-02: goes on the knife-edge. Is an 11-1 delegation possible? A dive into the data with Vote Maximizer: samwang.substack.com/p/catching-a...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Tune in tomorrow, when I'll write about how to donate in a targeted manner in places where your dollar actually does something. Spoiler: some of those emails you're getting are for races that are (a) in the bag, or (b) hopeless. Avoid these! votemaximizer.org

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Inundated with requests for donations? Vote Maximizer uses hard data to calculate which races are worth your canvassing time - and your donations. Here, an explanation of how it works. It's a resource to find key federal and state races. Over 3,000 ratings! samwang.substack.com/p/maximizing...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

mmm, that’s one juicy Lucy

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Greetings from Matt’s Bar in Minneapolis, home of the Juicy Lucy! This baby is filled with molten cheese

Sam sitting in a booth at Matt‘s bar in Minneapolis, with an innocuous looking burger and a big order of fries. The burger is a juicy Lucy, filled with molten cheese

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I'm in Minneapolis for the Westminster Town Hall Forum. It's an honor to kick off their We The People series. I'll propose what we can do to preserve our democracy in 2027 - and build anew in 2029. westminsterforum.org And as a reminder of what's under threat, I visited the Alex Pretti memorial.

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

LOCAL NJ DATA CENTER ALERT: A new data center proposed in South Brunswick/Princeton. On Wednesday September 23 at 5:30pm, come make public comment on what you think of this massive plan. kingstongreenways.org

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Here’s an interesting study showing that zoonotic spillovet events are happening more and more often. The causes? Human population growth, climate change, and travel tl;dr: we should expect something like it to happen again. gh.bmj.com/content/8/11...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

If anyone wants to actually learn something about the entry into humans of the SARS-CoV2 virus, here is a great summary of evidence. It is a little technical but it actually considers both major hypotheses. The authors are leading virologists. journals.asm.org/doi/epub/10....

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Do professors indoctrinate their students? Here's a new study that suggests not. However, it is true that (a) students sort into majors that reflect their ideology, and (b) students influence one another (as in another setting, child development). The goods: micah-baum.github.io/files/baum-e...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

And here's an older article. I wrote it long ago, but every statement in it has held up over time. The cumulative evidence from hundreds of research articles, in one package: www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/o...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

This draft executive order revives a big lie about autism: a nonexistent connection with vaccines. Here, one look back at hundreds of scientific articles on the *actual* causes of autism. A contrast with the shiny obkects that journalists choose to cover. samwang.substack.com/p/tylenol-ca...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Back at the dawn of COVID-19, Julian Zelizer and I interviewed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. We spoke about what he called America's "epidemic of insecurity." He's an epidemiologist, a public health expert - and now, a rising star. Really worth a listen - check it out. samwang.substack.com/p/talking-wi...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I'll hold the ball, Charlie Brown. Then you run up and kick it!

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Wednesday 3pm ET: At Fixing Bugs in Democracy, next we'll get into multimember districts & ranked-choice voting. This nerdy reform is all the rage. It could end gerrymandering. Would it a) decrease competition or b) increase voter leverage? The weird answer: both! open.substack.com/live-stream/...

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Wednesday 2pm ET: A dive into the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, with Nuzhat Chowdhury from N.J. Institute for Social Justice. - Can we fight the loss of the Voting Rights Act? - Can councils become more diverse? - Do closed primaries hurt Asian voters? open.substack.com/live-stream/...

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At the Electoral Innovation Lab, our summer fellows have been busy! Tomorrow (Wednesday) join us for **two** Substack Live broadcasts. 2pm ET: New routes to voting rights in New Jersey, thanks to a state law enacted last month! 3pm: A hidden benefit to multimember districts! samwang.substack.com

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Your assertion is not supported by survey evidence. DSA voters are extremely motivated to vote this year (66%) compared to other Democrats (57%). Both groups overwhelmingly support Democratic congressional candidates (99% of DSA and 94% of non-DSA). www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/p...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

In current polls that asked both Rogers-vs-Stevens and Rogers-vs-El-Sayed questions (n=4), the differential is anywhere from a six-point advantage for nominating Stevens over El-Sayed to a three-point advantage for El-Sayed. The median difference is 2.5 points, at present.

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Here's a larger data set. Note that the rank order is pretty good! The correlation coefficient is +0.934, where +1.0 is perfect. And a measure of getting the order right, which is called "rank correlation", is an amazing +0.980. tl;dr we're good at comparing, but we are the pits at quantifying

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Well, it's been two weeks and we have already basically forgotten about Platner. And, the first survey's out:

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Now the project 2025 crowd wants to set up $1 trillion patronage system. This would subvert how we decide scientific grants, construction projects, education, and public health. To learn how to fight this go to samwang.substack.com. Public comment ends today.

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

You can help stop the Project 2025 attack on science - but you need to act *today*. Tune in to Fixing Bugs in Democracy. Veteran science policymaker Elizabeth Ginexi will help us make an effective public comment & get Congress to act. Join us today 3pm Eastern: samwang.substack.com/p/fixing-bug...

Photo of veteran science policymaker Elizabeth Ginexi. Dr. Ginexi will help us make an effective public comment & get Congress to act.

Join us today, Monday July 13, 2026 at 3pm Eastern:
https://samwang.substack.com/p/fixing-bugs-live-help-stop-the-project

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Ironically, a narrow loss is not "getting slaughtered." It was a narrow loss, in a series of narrow Presidential and Congressional elections since 1994. We must get a grip on the fact that small changes in voting are leading to massive instability. We need to break out of this second Gilded Age.

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

What's next for primary elections in New Jersey? Tonight at 6:00pm, Princeton Public Library, a public discussion: samwang.substack.com/p/whats-next...

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

What's next for New Jersey party primaries? Tomorrow (Monday, June 29) at 6:00pm at the Princeton Public Library, locals, a discussion of how to build a system where most voters have a way. Featuring New Jersey Spotlight’s Colleen O’Dea, FairVote’s Dave Daley, and myself. We hope you can attend!

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Knicks in Five NYC Parks staff in five - hours!

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Fastest cleanup ever - the aftermath at Washington Square Park. Thank you city workers and Mamdani administration!

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

A bit hoarse from too much blowing off steam last night (including a karaoke duet with an opponent!). Thank you friends around the world, around the nation, and here in central New Jersey! More soon, but until then, one friend sent me this:

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In Princeton, we’re meeting lots of neighbors who haven’t voted yet. But the primary is where your vote is most powerful! Democrats and unaffiliated voters, cast your ballot by 8pm! SamForNJ.org

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Hello East Brunswick! Brad and I are here, thanking poll workers. Vote by 8:00pm!

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With state Senator Andrew Zwicker on the platform today. We're two scientists, working to make change!

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All gas, no brakes...and stop texting! You have until 8:00pm to vote. AND...unaffiliate voters, you can vote in the Democratic primary! Go there, ask for the ballot, and vote for SamForNJ.org

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All gas, no brakes...and stop texting! Central Jersey, vote by 8:00pm today. And have a great day out there - it's a beautiful day! SamForNJ.org

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Hi, I’m Sam Wang. My opponents Jay, Squire, and I say: West Windsor, Plainsboro, Princeton, Hopewell, Pennington – get out there and vote today! SamForNJ.org

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