About Eli Yokley

Eli Yokley writes about U.S. politics and campaigns at Morning Consult, where he has focused on the intersection of public opinion and the wielding of political power by governments, candidates and those influencing  policy since 2016 driven by data analysis and relationships with key players across the United States.  

Eli’s work has spanned the entirety of the current moment in U.S. politics. He has focused on the rise of Donald Trump, the new Republican coalition Trump built and the challenges and opportunities it has created for the party. Eli has also written extensively on the Democrats and their reaction to Trump, including two impeachment trials, the 2018 midterm elections, and Joe Biden’s 2020 victory and presidency. He has contributed considerably to the understanding of the drivers of political beliefs, the impact of social movements and public discussions on declining institutional trust, be it related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jan. 6 Capitol attack or economic disruption. 

Eli's newsletter, published analysis and in-person insights have informed C-Suites, senior policy decision makers in the White House and on Capitol Hill, diplomats and campaign professionals. He's also been a featured guest as an expert on American public opinion on Bloomberg TV and radio, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, SiriusXM and local and foreign networks, appeared in print publications such as Axios,  POLITICO's Playbook and Business Insider,  and as a speaker at numerous conferences and briefings.

Before joining Morning Consult, Eli – a son of southern Missouri who attended the University of Missouri-Columbia – covered politics at CQ Roll Call and The Joplin Globe.  

Dubbed a "journalism prodigy" by the Columbia Journalism Review, Eli began his career covering politics from Missouri in the spring of 2010 while he was 18-years-old and graduating high school in Webb City. Eli’s work covering Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill’s surprise 2012 victory and unrest in Ferguson in 2014 after the police killing of Michael Brown propelled him to national recognition for his shoe-leather journalism on the website he launched, PoliticMo, which ultimately led to him to contribute to The New York Times, The Daily Beast and Politico.

Eli  was born in July 1992 in the Joplin area of Missouri, growing up in Oronogo, Mo., and attending Webb City High School. His dad was a mechanic who worked in the Joplin area and his mother worked as a schoolteacher and educational leader focused on special education.  

Eli has two brothers — a nurse resides in Webb City and a dentist practicing in St. Louis.

Eli was inspired by his grandparents Bob and Joann Arnold, who married on July 31, 1955, in Sheldon, Missouri, and shared a 64-year marriage rooted in the small-town values of southwest Missouri. Bob, an Air Force veteran who worked as a military policeman in Texas, California, Florida and Alaska, spent nearly four decades in education as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent across Missouri public schools until retiring in 1993, while Joann worked as a teacher.

Bob and Joann were deeply involved in family life, attending Eli's and his brothers' events such as band concerts and football games in Webb City, fostering a supportive environment that emphasized love, community and education.

Eli later chronicled their enduring love story in a 2019 Joplin Globe article and wrote Bob's eulogy, highlighting his role as a devoted grandfather, educator, coach and proud golfer.

On his paternal side, Eli's grandfather was a farmer in Barton County for over 23 years and a truck driver for CFI until retirement. He was known for woodworking, car repairs and hunting — not to mention his status as a champion skeet shooter. His sons included Eli’s dad and his brother, who rose to be a captain in the Kansas State Highway Patrol. The family was rooted in the Midwest’s agriculture community, spanning western Missouri and eastern Kansas.

Eli's childhood was marked by close family ties in rural Missouri, influenced by his grandparents' love, community involvement and home-town roots.