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Mark Mellman, Influential Democratic Pollster and Founder of the Democratic Majority for Israel, Dies

Mark Mellman, a veteran Democratic pollster and founder of the Democratic Majority for Israel, has died. Known for his precise polling and long career advising Democratic campaigns, Mellman drew praise from figures including former Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid and Sen. Maria Cantwell. He founded DMFI in 2019 and led efforts to defend support for Israel amid shifting views among younger voters. Mellman is survived by his wife Mindy, three children and grandchildren.

04:56 AM, 11/22/2025Politics

Veteran Democratic pollster and strategist Mark Mellman has died, his organization the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) said in a statement, calling his loss "devastating" and praising him as "a brilliant political strategist whose intellect and acumen shaped DMFI from the beginning."

Reactions and tributes

Mellman, a frequent contributor to national political publications, drew tributes from colleagues and leaders in both the United States and Israel. Former Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid, who worked with Mellman, said he "embodied a love of the strong, successful, democratic Israel we believe in and worked tirelessly to secure the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States. His contribution to the Jewish people is far greater than most people will ever know."

"He was always on the money," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) wrote on X, recalling Mellman's precise polling. She recounted an election-night prediction he made: "He said on election night I would win but it would be very very very close. He was right — three weeks later I was declared the winner by just over 2,200 votes. There was nobody like him on the precision of the numbers."

Career and impact

Mellman built a long and varied career in American and Israeli politics. Early in his career he worked on Bruce Morrison’s successful 1981 congressional campaign. He later founded the Mellman Group, a polling and strategy firm whose clients included major Democratic campaigns, and advised high-profile figures across the political spectrum.

In 2019 Mellman founded the Democratic Majority for Israel to respond to shifting views about Israel among younger Democrats and voters. DMFI became particularly active after the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war, when the conflict's political reverberations shaped U.S. elections and intraparty debates.

Discussing DMFI’s strategy in a recent interview, Mellman said, "We're not interested in defeating people who are progressive. We're not interested in defeating people who are pro-Palestinian; we're interested in defeating people who are anti-Israel." The comment underscored the organization's focus on defending support for Israel within the Democratic Party.

Personal life

Mellman is survived by his wife, Mindy, their three children and grandchildren. His colleagues and many who relied on his polling and counsel remembered him for his precision, political intellect and longstanding commitment to strengthening U.S.-Israel ties.

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