The website and social media accounts for SoCal Strategies have gone offline after the polling firm was contacted about the quality of its data and potential ties to Wedgewood Polls, a firm that admitted this week to fabricating polling results.

FiftyPlusOne, a polling and political analysis outlet, said it contacted SoCal Strategies on Tuesday seeking comment and verification regarding the firm’s data quality and possible connections to Wedgewood. After the outreach, the firm’s website and X account were taken down, according to FiftyPlusOne.

The outlet said its investigation uncovered additional concerns about polling practices, raising questions about how the firm’s surveys were conducted and whether the results could be trusted. The disappearance of the website and social media account followed the request for comment, although that sequence alone does not establish why the accounts were taken offline or prove that SoCal Strategies fabricated data.

The controversy has drawn attention to earlier polling that showed Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton by five percentage points. That result circulated during the early stages of the Texas Senate race and contributed to the public discussion surrounding the contest. Questions about the pollster’s credibility could now cast doubt on how much weight political observers should have given the numbers.

SoCal Strategies is the latest name in a growing list of polling firms facing allegations or revelations involving questionable data. Wedgewood Polls acknowledged this week that it had fabricated polling data, while Median Strategies, PSI and SoCal Strategies have also been identified by FiftyPlusOne as firms involved in polling controversies.

The developments have raised broader concerns about the reliability of political polling, particularly when survey results are repeatedly cited by campaigns, political commentators and news organizations. Polls can shape perceptions of a race, influence fundraising and campaign strategy, and become part of the media narrative surrounding which candidates are gaining or losing ground.

When polling data is fabricated or manipulated, those effects can extend beyond a single survey. Candidates may be portrayed as stronger or weaker than they actually are, while voters and donors may make judgments based on numbers that do not accurately reflect public opinion.

FiftyPlusOne said the polling controversies have affected real political races and the surrounding coverage. The questions surrounding SoCal Strategies add to the scrutiny facing the industry as campaigns and voters rely on polling to assess competitive contests ahead of the midterm elections.

SoCal Strategies’ removal of its online presence does not, by itself, establish that its polling was fabricated. The firm’s response to the allegations, the methodology behind its surveys, and any evidence supporting the reported connections to Wedgewood remain important to determining the full scope of the controversy.