Obituary: André Pineda

California-based Democrat pollster André Pineda died last Tuesday at the age of 46, reportedly jumping to his death from Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge.

Pineda, who polled for President Obama in 2008, most recently ran his own consultancy which offered a range of multilingual research services, and specialized Latino studies. During his career, he also conducted focus groups in France, Germany and the Netherlands, and worked for political and corporate clients in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

His background included stints as the GOTV Director of Janet Napolitano's 2002 campaign for Arizona governor, and as a top aide in the administration of former California Governor Gray Davis. He also held positions at polling firms Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, MSHC Partners, and Fairbank Maslin Maullin & Associates.

Described by associates and former colleagues as compassionate, full of energy and 'a brilliant but humble guy', Pineda is credited with helping pollsters and politicians to a better understanding of the Hispanic community, encouraging them to see it less as a 'monolithic bloc' and more as a complex and changing collection of sub-groups.

Pineda is survived by his wife Araceli Ruano, a former aide to Vice President Al Gore.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.