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Formerly of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]], Pinsonat entered the polling business through the encouragement of his [[golf]]ing friend, [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], the Louisiana [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[U.S. Senator]] from 1972 to 1997, who named Pinsonat early in his career to Johnston's staff. Pinsonat's polls often include questions inserted, in his words, "just for fun". Pinsonat drew the ire of [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]], who defeated Johnston in the 1971 Democratic runoff [[primary]]. The more Edwards criticized Pinsonat, the more business the polling company acquired. Pinsonat said that he gets the most satisfaction from his independent political polls, but the mainstay of his company, in partnership with Lawrence "Buster" McKenzie until McKenzie's retirement in 2017, consists of surveys for corporations and election campaigns.<ref name=lapolitics>{{cite web|url=https://lapolitics.com/2013/11/lapolitics-newsmaker-bernie-pinsonat/|title=LaPolitics Newsmaker: Bernie Pinsonat|author=Kelly Connelly|date=November 26, 2013|publisher=Lapolitics.com|accessdate=December 3, 2018}}</ref>

Formerly of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]], Pinsonat entered the polling business through the encouragement of his [[golf]]ing friend, [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], the Louisiana [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[U.S. Senator]] from 1972 to 1997, who named Pinsonat early in his career to Johnston's staff. Pinsonat's polls often include questions inserted, in his words, "just for fun". Pinsonat drew the ire of [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]], who defeated Johnston in the 1971 Democratic runoff [[primary]]. The more Edwards criticized Pinsonat, the more business the polling company acquired. Pinsonat said that he gets the most satisfaction from his independent political polls, but the mainstay of his company, in partnership with Lawrence "Buster" McKenzie until McKenzie's retirement in 2017, consists of surveys for corporations and election campaigns.<ref name=lapolitics>{{cite web|url=https://lapolitics.com/2013/11/lapolitics-newsmaker-bernie-pinsonat/|title=LaPolitics Newsmaker: Bernie Pinsonat|author=Kelly Connelly|date=November 26, 2013|publisher=Lapolitics.com|accessdate=December 3, 2018}}</ref>

Prior to the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, Pinsonat correctly forecast that Johnston's Democratic successor, [[Mary Landrieu]], wouldlose her bid for a fourth term as senator because her projected share of the white vote had dipped to 25 percent, instead of the 37 to 41 percent needed to win when combined with solid [[African-American]] support.<ref name=lapolitics/> Landrieu was unseated by Baton Rouge [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bill Cassidy]].  

Prior to the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, Pinsonat correctly forecast that Johnston's Democratic successor, [[Mary Landrieu]], would lose her bid for a fourth term as senator because her projected share of the white vote had dipped to 25 percent, instead of the 37 to 41 percent needed to win when combined with solid [[African-American]] support.<ref name=lapolitics/> Landrieu was unseated by Baton Rouge [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bill Cassidy]].  

In the 2016 Senate election, won by Republican [[John Neely Kennedy]], Pinsonat was sued by a minor candidate, Troy Hebert of New Iberia, who cited the pollster for mistakenly calling Hebert "a Republcan", instead of a Democrat-turned-[[Independent voter|Independent]], and for having said that only 2 percent of Louisiana voters recognized Hebert's name. Pinsonat dismissed the arguments Hebert advanced through the suit. Pinsonat said the particular polling had been commissioned by businessman and political heavyweight Lane Grigsby. The information, he said, was never intended to be used by civic groups to gauge the electability of candidates. Hebert is a former director of the Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Control Commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/08/running_for_office_and_starved.html|title=Troy Hebert, U.S. Senate candidate sues pollster for calling him a Republican|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=August 11, 2016|accessdate=December 5, 2018}}</ref>

In the 2016 Senate election, won by Republican [[John Neely Kennedy]], Pinsonat was sued by a minor candidate, Troy Hebert of New Iberia, who cited the pollster for mistakenly calling Hebert "a Republcan", instead of a Democrat-turned-[[Independent voter|Independent]], and for having said that only 2 percent of Louisiana voters recognized Hebert's name. Pinsonat dismissed the arguments Hebert advanced through the suit. Pinsonat said the particular polling had been commissioned by businessman and political heavyweight Lane Grigsby. The information, he said, was never intended to be used by civic groups to gauge the electability of candidates. Hebert is a former director of the Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Control Commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/08/running_for_office_and_starved.html|title=Troy Hebert, U.S. Senate candidate sues pollster for calling him a Republican|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=August 11, 2016|accessdate=December 5, 2018}}</ref>