IEC Policy Keynote

Charlie Cook

Founder of The Cook Political Report

Political Analyst for the National Journal

Charlie Cook is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading authorities on U.S. elections and political trends. He founded the independent, nonpartisan Cook Political Report in 1984, serving as Editor and Publisher for 37 years, stepping down in 2021 and transitioning ownership and management of the venerable newsletter to Amy Walter. Charlie remains with the renamed Cook Political Report with Amy Walter as a contributor.

In addition to lecturing, Charlie continues to write his weekly column for National Journal, while also serving as a political analyst for the publication. He is also a co-author of the 2020 and 2022 editions of The Almanac of American Politics.

Covering and analyzing U.S. elections and domestic political trends, The New York Times once referred to Cook Political Report as “a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative” while CBS News’ Bob Schieffer called it “the bible of the political community.”

Al Hunt, in the Wall Street Journal, referred to Cook as “the Picasso of election analysis.”

The late David Broder of The Washington Post, long considered "the Dean of the Washington political press corps," once wrote that Charlie Cook is “perhaps the best non-partisan tracker of Congressional races.”

Charlie has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and on ABC’s This Week. Over the years, he has served as an Election Night analyst for CBS and CNN.

In 2010, Charlie was the co-recipient of the American Political Science Association’s prestigious Carey McWilliams award to honor “a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics." In 2013, Charlie served as a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

For speaking engagements, Charlie is represented by Leading Authorities Inc, and has been for over 30 years.

IEC Policy Conference