Campus Connection

UWL’s Anthony Chergosky brings expertise, objectivity to political reporting

In an era when politics dominates headlines and conversations, Anthony Chergosky has become a trusted voice helping the public make sense of it all. 

The UW-La Crosse associate professor of political science and public administration has been quoted in national newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, featured on national networks including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News and CNN, and even interviewed by international media. 

“Nationally, and even internationally, there is tremendous interest in Wisconsin politics,” Chergosky explains, noting Wisconsin’s reputation as a key battleground state. 

His path to becoming a political commentator began long before the media spotlight found him.

“My interest in politics was sparked by a combination of Hollywood portrayals and real-world events,” he says. “When I was in high school, two of my favorite TV shows were ‘24’ and ‘The West Wing.’ They offered very different portrayals of politics, but both conveyed that politics and leadership are important. I wasn’t drawn to any particular ideology expressed in those shows, so much as I was struck by the idea that politics matters and is interesting.”

That curiosity deepened during the 2008 presidential election, which Chergosky remembers as “a consequential election that would affect the trajectory of the nation, no matter the outcome.” The drama and significance of that moment fueled his decision to study politics more seriously. 

After earning his PhD from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018, Chergosky joined the UWL faculty. Local reporters sought faculty experts to provide context on unfolding stories, and Chergosky, always eager to engage, was quick to volunteer. 

“One factor that led to more opportunities was simply my willingness and excitement to engage,” Chergosky says. “I try as best I can to be objective, stick to the facts, and stay true to what my discipline has established through the scientific method. The most important principles I keep in mind are to remain objective and to treat the audience with respect. There is a time and a place for people to passionately debate values and opinions, but that is not my role. My role is to convey how insights from my discipline apply to the news and events around us.” 

One of his most memorable interviews took place on CNN on the night of the April 2025 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election. 

“That was the most nervous I’ve ever been for an interview,” Chergosky recalls. “It was four minutes on live TV, in front of thousands of viewers nationwide, to apply the insights from my discipline to an event that had just happened, and to do so in (hopefully) an interesting and credible way.” 

As his presence in the media has grown, Chergosky has brought those experiences into the classroom. 

“In my Politics and the Media class, students work on creating actual pieces of media,” he says. “When working with my students on their communication skills, I encourage them to think carefully about both content and style. How can you develop an understanding of the audience? Then, how can you use that understanding to best convey the content of your message?” 

At the center of it all is Chergosky’s mission: to provide accessible, unbiased political information. 

“Politics affects everyone, whether they like it or not,” Chergosky says. “That motivates me because if people cannot opt out of politics, then they deserve to be able to understand it. If people are inevitably going to be affected by politics, they should have the tools to make sense of politics. That belief drives me in my teaching and in much of the work I do.”