LORI WEIGEL

Lori Weigel is the Principal of New Bridge Strategy, a research firm based in Colorado. Weigel has directed research efforts for hundreds of political and public affairs campaigns throughout the country, including assisting with efforts at the presidential level four times. With roots in Republican politics, she focuses on helping her clients bridge partisan divides and create winning majorities. 

Her political work today is primarily focused on polling for and against ballot measures. She has polled on behalf of the winning side of ballot measure campaigns in states as varied as Arkansas, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, California, New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, Maine, and Colorado. 

Her experience polling on policy issues extends to such varied areas as health care, energy, land use, early education, food and alcohol regulation, technology, tort reform/litigation, corporate image, employee/union relations and crisis management.

Weigel is frequently the conservative half of bipartisan research teams. She co-conducts regular polling on behalf of the Colorado Polling Institute, the State of the Rockies Institute, and the Colorado Health Foundation’s Pulse Poll. She formerly served as the political pollster for Denver’s News 4 and the Rocky Mountain News, and is frequently quoted on politics by major news publications.  

Weigel was a partner for over twenty years with Public Opinion Strategies, the largest Republican polling firm in the country. She previously was a Vice President for another GOP firm, The Tarrance Group.  She graduated cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a B.S. in International Politics.  She lives in Denver with her blended family of six, and a rescue dog named after a Taylor Swift song.

KATHRYN HAHNE

Kathryn Hahne is a Director at New Bridge Strategy, an opinion research company specializing in public policy and campaign research.

Kathryn has worked on a variety of political, public affairs, and ballot measure campaigns across the country on topics including tax policy, conservation and land use, education, health care, and corporate image and brand research. She works with local government entities throughout Colorado on various issues and regularly presents survey data and analysis to elected officials. In 2022, she led research efforts for numerous ballot measures as well as the successful statewide Colorado measure to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores. Additionally, Kathryn frequently directs bipartisan, publicly released surveys, which include Colorado College’s State of the Rockies project. She is a RIVA-trained moderator and conducts focus groups across the country.

Prior to joining New Bridge Strategy, she was a Senior Research Assistant and Project Director with Public Opinion Strategies.

Kathryn graduated from The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Public Policy and a B.A. in Foreign Affairs. She received her Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was a Forte Fellow. She resides in Denver, Colorado where she enjoys hiking, skiing, and volunteering for Girls on the Run.

KAroline mcgrail

Karoline McGrail is an Insights Analyst at New Bridge Strategy. Karoline has worked on a wide range of public policy issues including corporate image and brand research, energy policy, conservation and land use, health care, technology, and tax issues.  

Karoline has extensive ballot measure experience, polling for successful state and local campaigns in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Oregon, including seven major statewide wins since 2014. In 2020, she served as Research Director on the team that helped guide the winning strategy for the Yes on Proposition 22 campaign in California.

Karoline is a RIVA-trained moderator who is skilled in a range of research platforms and technologies, including in-person interviews and focus groups, online qualitative research, and online ad/concept testing. Before joining New Bridge Strategy, she was a Senior Research Assistant, Project Director, and Research Director at Public Opinion Strategies.

Karoline graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in Classics and received her Master’s in Public Policy from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and children.

Tessa pennington

Tessa Pennington is a Research Assistant at New Bridge Strategy. In her role at NBS, Tessa conducts data analysis and prepares comprehensive summaries for clients. She also supports the team’s communication efforts by maintaining the firm’s online and social media platforms.

Prior to joining New Bridge Strategy, Tessa worked in education policy as a Programs and Strategy Associate at Greater Texas Foundation.

Tessa graduated cum laude from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic and received her Master’s of International Affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University where she was a Graduate Merit Fellow. She lives in Bryan, Texas with her husband, two daughters and wild Blue Heeler.