Charlie Cook

Renowned Political Analyst & Founder of the Cook Political Report

Charlie Cook is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading authorities on U.S. elections and political trends. In 1984, at the age of 30, he started The Cook Political Report, an independent, nonpartisan newsletter that The New York Times once referred to as “being regarded as authoritative by both parties,” while legendary CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer has called it “the bible of the political community.”

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 the co-author of the 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026 editions of The Almanac of American Politics.

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 nonpartisan tracker of Congressional races.”

Charlie has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and on ABC’s This Week — as well as several other leading news programs. He has also made more than a dozen appearances on NBC’s Meet the Press — the longest-running show on television — and was initially recruited for the show by then-host Tim Russert in the early 1990s. Over the years, he has served as an Election Night analyst for CBS and CNN — including many election nights on Decision Desk in New York.

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 more than 30 years.