GENERAL SESSION: From Polls to Policy – Charlie Cook and Kirk Bado on the Forces Shaping Washington
Renowned analyst Charlie Cook and National Journal’s Kirk Bado deliver a crisp, real‑time look at the forces shaping Washington ahead of the 2026 midterms. Cook brings decades of data and polling expertise, while Bado adds sharp, on‑the‑ground insight from Capitol Hill. Together, they outline where political risk and opportunity may emerge—and how advocacy efforts can stay ahead in a fast‑moving environment. This special in‑person session complements their popular monthly webinar, The Cook Catch Up, offering an exclusive, up‑to‑the‑moment briefing from two trusted voices in political analysis. Sponsored by Winnow Solutions.
Speakers
Introductions
As Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Winnow, Chris Hilliard leads a team of legal, compliance, and technology professionals transforming how financial institutions and lenders navigate state and federal regulatory requirements. Winnow is a powerful online application that enables customers to generate surveys and searches tailored to their specific business type, licensing, products, and geographic scope based on a comprehensive and dynamic database of state and federal laws and regulations. Winnow also provides an AI-powered platform that helps financial institutions navigate complex state and federal regulations, ensuring compliance while improving operational efficiency. Chris Hilliard has over 20 years of industry experience in consumer, commercial, and residential mortgage lending and general banking, with extensive expertise in regulatory compliance, BSA/AML, internal audit, licensing, and legal functions. He is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP), and a California Licensed Life, Accident & Health Agent. He has held executive, senior management, and mid-level management positions at major financial institutions and lenders, where he managed all aspects of compliance, risk, and litigation, as well as product development, management, and design. He is passionate about leveraging technology to create innovative solutions that enhance compliance efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. HousingWire, Finovate, and the US Fintech Awards have recognized him, and he is a HousingWire Tech 100 Trendsetter for 2024.
Speakers
Kirk A. Bado is managing editor of The Hotline, where he began as a staff correspondent covering House races. Originally from Pittsburgh, Bado graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Master's in mass communication after completing his B.S. in politics and public law at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. While at UNC, Bado was a research assistant in the Reese News Lab where he reported on the evolving political media landscape in the American South, the epidemic of news deserts, and the impact of Donald Trump's immigration policies in rural communities. Prior to National Journal, he worked at USA Today, Reuters, the Arizona Republic, the Tennessean, and EdNC.
Charlie Cook is a political analyst for National Journal where he publishes a weekly column and hosts a biweekly virtual series. In 1984, he founded The Cook Political Report, an independent, non-partisan newsletter. He is a regular contributor to the newly named The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, co-author of The Almanac of American Politics, and political analyst for NBC News. In 2010, Charlie was a co-recipient of the American Political Science Association's prestigious Carey McWilliams award to honor "a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics." Charlie served as a Resident Fellow in 2013 at the Institute of Politics at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
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