Pollster ratings · Head to head

Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. vs. Rasmussen: which pollster is more accurate?

Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. comes out ahead on 4 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index, which grades pollsters on how close their final polls came to actual results from 1998 to 2022.

★ Ahead
Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research
B
Trust Score 59/100 · rank #29
 
Rasmussen Reports
C
Trust Score 27/100 · rank #59

Head to head

MeasureBeacon Research/Shaw & Co.Rasmussen
Trust Score59/100 ★27/100
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
4.4 pts ★4.9 pts
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
0 better ★0.3 worse
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±4 pts ★±4.7 pts
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+2.2D+1.7 ★
Winners called67%67%
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
42 polls139 polls
2026 polls2119
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
D+0.8D+0.6 ★

2026 races both have polled

RaceBeacon Research/Shaw & Co. (latest)Rasmussen (latest)
Texas SenateTalarico 51, Paxton 49 (even vs. avg)Talarico 46, Paxton 45 (R+0.9 vs. avg)
Iowa SenateTurek 49, Hinson 47 (D+0.6 vs. avg)Turek 47, Hinson 43 (D+2.3 vs. avg)
Michigan SenateEl-Sayed 50, Rogers 49 (R+3.6 vs. avg)El-Sayed 47, Rogers 44 (even vs. avg)
Ohio SenateBrown 53, Husted 45 (D+5.3 vs. avg)Brown 46, Husted 43 (even vs. avg)
Maine SenateJackson 48, Collins 46 (R+1.4 vs. avg)Jackson 46, Collins 45 (R+3.3 vs. avg)
North Carolina SenateCooper 53, Whatley 44 (D+2.9 vs. avg)Cooper 48, Whatley 41 (R+2.3 vs. avg)
Georgia SenateOssoff 56, Collins 43 (D+6.4 vs. avg)Ossoff 51, Collins 42 (D+2.7 vs. avg)
Georgia GovernorLance Bottoms 52, Jackson 47 (R+10 vs. avg)Lance Bottoms 45, Jackson 48 (R+4.1 vs. avg)

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

More comparisons: Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. YouGov · Rasmussen Reports vs. YouGov · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. Emerson College · Emerson College vs. Rasmussen Reports · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Rasmussen Reports vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. New York Times/Siena College · New York Times/Siena College vs. Rasmussen Reports

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. or Rasmussen?

Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. has the smaller average error (4.4 pts vs. 4.9 pts). Overall, beacon Research/Shaw & Co. comes out ahead on 4 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Beacon Research/Shaw & Co.: B, Trust Score 59; Rasmussen: C, Trust Score 27).

Have Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. and Rasmussen polled the same 2026 races?

Yes: 8 races in Crosstab's data, including Texas Senate, Iowa Senate, Michigan Senate, Ohio Senate.

Grades: Crosstab Trust Index, computed from FiveThirtyEight's pollster-ratings data (CC BY 4.0), 1998–2022; 2026 measures from Crosstab's polling data.

Updated 2026-10-04 · Crosstab, nonpartisan polling analysis.