Thomas L. Brunell (born 1968) is an American political scientist and professor at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Brunell studied political science and earned a Ph.D. in 1997 from the University of California, Irvine. His research and teaching mainly focus on American politics - elections, Congress, political parties, and redistricting. In 2008, he published a book titled Rethinking Redistricting: Why Competitive Elections are Bad for America.

In 2017, he was mentioned as a possible nominee to direct the U.S. Census Bureau but withdrew his nomination after controversy over government experience.

Selected books

  • Brunell, Thomas L. (2008). Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections Are Bad for America. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415964531.