December Roundtable examines post-election political landscape

UC Real Estate Center event to explore impact on the real estate industry

The December UC Real Estate Roundtable will highlight topics and discussion focusing on analyzing the impact of the 2020 election: the future of divided government after a close and contentious election, the trajectory of Ohio politics, and political trends to keep a close eye on in the near future. Also to be examined is the future of the real estate industry, both in Ohio and across the U.S. 

Featured guest speakers are Rob Ellsworth, partner and cofounder of The Majority Group in Washington, D.C.; and Andrew R. Lewis, PhD, associate professor of political science, University of Cincinnati. 


As co-founder of Majority Group, Rob Ellsworth has over a decade of strategic legislative experience, working alongside House and Senate leadership on Capitol Hill, most recently as one of the youngest chiefs of staff in Congressional history. Through his extensive knowledge of the federal political landscape and his far-reaching connections across the industry, Rob provides clients with strategic counsel on policymaking in Congress and at federal agencies. In addition, Rob oversees the firm’s business development efforts. Beginning in January 2019, and in addition to his role at Majority Group, Rob signed on as vice president of government affairs for the Connected Commerce Council (3C) and has helped build a national trade association with more than 10,000 small business members focused on digital technology issues related to data privacy, competition and cyber security. 

Prior to co-founding Majority Group and taking on a leading role with 3C, Rob worked in an advisory capacity for three Republican and two Democratic members of congress. Rob has unique experience working with leadership from both parties, as well as a deep understanding of the cross-section between politics, policy and procedure. As a senior staffer on Capitol Hill, Rob was entrenched in the inner-workings of House and Senate leadership, working closely with committee chairmen, the White House, federal agencies and state governments to carry out policy priorities. He has staffed Congressmen on the Financial Services, Transportation & Infrastructure, Small Business and Natural Resources committees, and drafted parts of key legislation including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

In 2006, Rob was appointed project manager of the transition of 52 freshman U.S. congressmen. Additionally, Rob has worked on 14 political campaigns for city, county, state and federal candidates from both political parties.

Andrew Lewis is associate professor of Political Science at UC, as well as a public fellow with PRRI. He studies the intersection of politics, law, and religion in the U.S. Lewis is the author of The Rights Turn in Conservative Christian Politics: How Abortion Transformed the Culture Wars (Cambridge, 2017),  the winner of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert Morken Award for the best book on religion and politics. His work has also been published in many academic journals, as well as The New York TimesThe Washington Post, and Five Thirty Eight. Lewis holds a PhD in political science from American University.

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