Rachel Bitecofer

Rachel Bitecofer (born 1977) is an American political scientist and election forecaster.

Election punditry Bitecofer's analysis has appeared on multiple media platforms including MSNBC and the New York Times. She wrote the 2017 book, The Unprecedented 2016 Presidential Election, on the election of Donald Trump and runs a podcast hosted by Substack titled The Election Whisperer. She runs Strike Pac, a liberal super PAC.

Bitecofer accurately predicted the size of the "Blue Wave" in the 2018 United States midterm elections earlier than other forecasters, She also advanced the theory that Trump would lose reelection in 2020.

Her forecasting work has generated debate within political science and campaign circles, particularly regarding the relative roles of turnout, backlash, and persuasion in modern elections.

In 2024, she co-authored Hit 'Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game with Aaron Murphy. The book advocates for Democrats to adopt conflict-based messaging rooted in negative partisanship to counter Republican tactics and mobilize voters.

Bitecofer has published peer-reviewed academic articles and book chapters on topics including polarization, voter evaluations of Supreme Court nominees, sexism in presidential elections, democratic accountability, and negative partisanship.

She has contributed opinion pieces and been featured in major outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, and MSNBC.