Political Representation

Elections

Legislative Politics

Education

• Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 2016
• B.A., Loyola University Chicago, 2011
• A.A., J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, 2008

Research Interests

• Political representation and electoral systems
• Redistricting and gerrymandering 
• Money in politics
• Legislative politics 
• Elections
• Virginia Politics

Recent Publications

Books:

• Keena, Alex, w/Michael Latner, Anthony J. McGann, and Charles Anthony Smith. 2021. Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism. Cambridge University Press.
• Anthony J. McGann, Charles Anthony Smith, Michael Latner, and Alex Keena. 2016. Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty. Cambridge University Press.

Recent peer-reviewed articles:

• Keena, A., O. Pocasangre, and N. Romero Moskala. 2026. Mixed-Member Proportional
  Representation and the U.S. House of Representatives. Political Research Quarterly.
• Keena, A. 2025. Constituency size and turnout in mixed electoral systems.
  Public Choice 204: 169–180. doi.org/10.1007/s11127-025-01274-5
• Keena, A. and M. Knight-Finley. 2025. Are Businesspeople Better Legislators? Evidence from the US Senate (1983-2021). Congress and the Presidency 52(2): 162–182.
• Keena, A. 2024. Out-Of-State Donors and Legislative Surrogacy in the U.S. Senate.
  Political Research Quarterly 77(3): 880-890. doi: 10.1177/10659129241249171
• Wintersieck, A. and A. Keena. 2023. Ask and You Shall Receive: The Effects of Negativity and
  Fundraising Appeals on Facebook. Political Research Quarterly 76(4): 1973-1986.

Courses

• POLI 320 - Research Methods in Political Science
• POLI 324 - The Science of Elections
• POLI 306 - Congress
• POLI 103 - U.S. Politics and Government
• POLI 490 - Senior Seminar in Political Science
• POLI 322 - State and Local Politics and Government

In the Media

• “Lots of Money, Little Transparency in Virginia Redistricting Campaign”. Richmond Times-Dispatch. Apr. 13, 2026.
• “Virginia Democrats are set to join the redistricting war. Their candidate for governor is staying out of it.” CNN. Oct 27, 2025.
• “Virginia's 2025 governor race is set. What to know about the high stakes election.” USA Today. Apr 20, 2025.
• "Why Gerrymandering has Gotten Worse", CBS Sunday Morning, 11/13/2022
• "How Voter Suppression Hurts White People", CNN, 9/25/2021