Media Advisory: UB election experts will be available to provide political analysis before and after town hall

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo political science experts will be available outside the Katharine Cornell Theatre on Thursday to provide expert analysis on the 2016 election and on Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s performance in the MSNBC town hall at UB.

Jacob Neiheisel, assistant professor of political science, will be available from 10-10:45 a.m., just before the 11 a.m. town hall, to discuss the New York primary, the 2016 election in general, the youth vote and political communication.

James Campbell, a UB Distinguished Professor in political science, will attend the town hall and be available to provide analysis of Cruz’s appearance immediately following the event. Campbell’s research has been cited as influential by the Cruz campaign.

In addition to providing analysis of the town hall, Campbell will be able to discuss the 2016 election and the April 19 New York primary, one of the first in a long time where both the Republican and Democratic nominees are far from clear.

WHAT: UB election experts available to members of the media before and after the MSNBC town hall moderated by Chuck Todd and featuring Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

WHEN: Neiheisel will be available from 10-10:45 a.m., Thursday, April 14, just before the town hall.

Campbell will be available after the town hall is over.

WHERE: The hallway outside the main entrance outside of Katharine Cornell Theatre on UB’s North Campus in Amherst. The theatre is inside the Millard Fillmore Academic Center in the Ellicott Complex.

PARKING: Parking for members of the media will be available in the Moody Terrace loop, located between Red Jacket and Richmond Quads in the Ellicott Complex. Campus map: https://www.buffalo.edu/home/visiting-ub/CampusMaps.html

On site arrangements for UB faculty experts: Rachel Stern, 914-815-5656.

For all other media inquiries, contact Kristen Osborne with MSNBC media relations at Kristen.Osborne@nbcuni.com or 347-918-7501.

About Neiheisel and Campbell:

For the first time in a long time, the New York primary is less than a week away and the 2016 presidential nominee in both the Republican and Democratic races is far from decided.

“At this point, every state is significant,” Campbell says. “We are zeroing in on this, and since there is a real possibility of the Republican nomination requiring a second ballot or more, the New York primary is very important.

“Then with the Democrats it’s interesting, too. New York is presumed to be Clinton territory, but she hasn’t done really well outside of the South, so if Sanders can make a strong showing here that could impact the race, as well.”

Campbell, who studies campaigns, elections, political parties and voting behavior, says the last time the New York primary was competitive in both parties was back in 1988, when George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis became their parties’ respective nominees.

“Usually by this time, things are sealed up,” Neiheisel says.

He also says in New York, with the way the delegate system is set up, the Republican voter has much more power downstate than upstate.

“The way the primary rules are written, the downstate voter has more power than an upstate Republican could possibly think of having. The Republican vote is diluted upstate,” he says.