SoRelle Gaynor

SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the College of the Holy Cross. Her research focuses on the U.S. Congress, American political parties, and legislative policymaking processes. She has published in top journals like Legislative Studies Quarterly and Political Behavior, and co-authored the textbook Congress Explained (2nd ed., 2025). Before academia, she worked as a press secretary and speechwriter in the U.S. House and Senate.

Gaynor holds a Ph.D. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, where her dissertation explored intraparty caucuses. She served as an APSA Public Service Fellow at the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (2019–2021). Her teaching includes courses on the legislative process, political research methods, and American government.

Her recent research examines legislators’ messaging strategies, donor influence on policy attention, and the mobilizing effects of female candidates. She has been cited in venues like The Monkey Cage for her insights on congressional behavior and electoral dynamics.