The Fix's Best State-Based Political Reporters
Calling all nominations for the best political reporter in each state! Photo by istock
Last week we asked Fixistas to name the best political reporters in each of the 50 states. And, as always, you delivered a flood of suggestions and recommendations.
We've aggregated them and the partial list of top political scribes is after the jump. We are still missing several states, however. Among them: Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky (the great Pat Crowley has moved on), Louisiana, Maryland, Montana and Wyoming.
Got a nomination from one of the states we are still missing? Don't see a reporter listed below that should be? The comments section is open for business.
Alabama: New York Times' Dana Beyerle, Montgomery Advertiser's Sebastien Kitchen
Arkansas: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Michael Wickline, Arkansas Times' John Brummett
California: San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci, Los Angeles Times' Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times' Mark Z. Barabak, Sacramento Bee's Dan Walters, Los Angeles Times' Shane Goldmacher
Colorado: Denver Post's Lynn Bartels , 9News' Adam Schrager
Connecticut: Hartford Courant's Chris Keating, Hartford Courant's Jon Lender
Delaware: Delaware Grapevine's Celia Cohen, Wilmington News-Journal's Harry Themal
Florida: St. Petersburg Times' Adam Smith, Associated Press' Brendan Farrington, Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard
Georgia: Atlanta Journal Constitution's Aaron Gould Sheinin
Idaho: Spokesman Review's Betsy Russell
Indiana: Indianapolis Star's Mary Beth Schneider, Louisville Courier-Journal's Lesley Stedman Weidenbener
Illinois: Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson. Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet, Crain's Greg Hinz, Capitol Fax's Rich Miller, Chicago Sun-Times' Carol Marin, Associated Press' Deanna Bellandi, Chicago Sun-Times' Abdon Pallasch
Iowa: Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson, Des Moines Register's Tom Beaumont, Associated Press' Mike Glover, WHO TV's Dave Price, Lee Enterprise's Ed Tibbets and Charlotte Eby
Maine: Maine Public Broadcasting's A.J. Higgins.
Massachusetts: Associated Press' Glen Johnson, Boston Herald's Hillary Chabot, Statehouse News Services' Jim O'Sullivan
Michigan: WKAR's Tim Skubick, Detroit Free-Press' Chris Christoff Associated Press' Kathy Barks Hoffman, Gongwer News Service's Stephanie Cepak, Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry, Mlive.com's Peter Luke
Minnesota: Associated Press' Brian Bakst, St. Paul Pioneer Press' Bill Salisbury, WCCO's Erik Eskola, Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck, Strib's Rachel Stassen-Berger
Mississippi: Jackson Clarion-Ledger's Sid Salter, Northeast Mississippi Daily News' Bobby Harrison.
Missouri: St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Tony Messenger, Springfield News-Leader's Chad Livengood, KY3's David Catanese, St. Louis Beacon's Jo Mannies
Nebraska: Lincoln Journal-Star's Don Walton, Omaha World-Herald's Robin Tysver
Nevada: Las Vegas Sun's Jon Ralston
New Hampshire: Nashua Telegraph's Kevin Landrigan, Manchester Union Leader's John DiStaso, Valley News' John Gregg, NH Political Report's James Pindell
New Jersey: Newark Star Ledger's Josh Margolin, Associated Press' Angela Delli Santi
New Mexico: NMPolitics.net's Heath Haussamen
New York: New York Post's Fred Dicker, New York Daily News' Liz Benjamin, New York Post's Maggie Haberman, New York Times' Danny Hakim
North Carolina: Raleigh News & Observer's Rob Christensen, WUNC's Laura Leslie
North Dakota: Associated Press' Dale Wetzel
Ohio: Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Steve Koff, Columbus Dispatch's Joe Hallett, Cincinnati Enquirer's Howard Wilkinson, Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Tom Suddes
Oklahoma: KOSU's Michael Cross
Oregon: Oregonian's Jeff Mapes, Register Guard's David Steves, Associated Press' Brad Cain
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Inquirer's Thomas Fitzgerald, Allentown Morning-Call's John Micek
Rhode Island: WRNI's Ian Donnis and Scott MacKay
South Carolina: The State's John O'Connor
South Dakota: Rapid City-Journal's Kevin Woster
Tennessee: Knoxville News' Tom Humphrey
Texas: Dallas Morning News' Wayne Slater, Houston Chronicle's R.J. Ratcliffe, Austin American-Statesman's Jason Embry, Texas Tribune's Emily Ramshaw, Texas Monthly's Paul Burka, Associated Press' Jay Root, Austin American Statesman's Gardner Selby.
Utah: Deseret News' Bob Bernick Jr, Salt Lake Tribune's Robert Gehrke
Vermont: Burlington Free-Press' Samuel Hemingway
Virginia: Associated Press' Bob Lewis, Ryan Nobles of NBC12
Washington: Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Joel Connelly, Seattle Times' Jim Brunner, Associated Press' Curt Woodward and Rachel LaCorte, Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Chris Grygiel
Wisconsin: The Wheeler Report's Dick Wheeler
West Virginia: West Virginia Watchdog's Steve Allen Adams
By
Chris Cillizza
|
September 28, 2009; 12:53 PM ET
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Posted by: kelburl | September 29, 2009 8:50 PM | Report abuse
For CT - CT Radio Network's Mark Sims and Steve Kotchko
Posted by: dexterabernathy | September 29, 2009 4:32 PM | Report abuse
There are several from CT that should make the list:
Keith Phaneuf - (Manchester) Journal Inquirer
Ken Dixon - Connecticut Post
Ted Mann - The (New London) Day
Sue Haigh - Hartford Bureau of the Associated Press
Posted by: dexterabernathy | September 29, 2009 4:24 PM | Report abuse
You can't forget Steve Wiegand of the Sacramento Bee for California.
Posted by: neversaylie | September 29, 2009 11:10 AM | Report abuse
For Montana I would recommend Charles Johnson, best on your previous list, or Mike Dennison with the Helena Independent Record (and other Lee Newspapters).
Posted by: MTModerate | September 29, 2009 10:28 AM | Report abuse
Alex Roarty of PoliticsPA in Pennsylvania? Give me a break!
PoliticsPA is a fluff site run by a lobbying firm. He's no more a reporter than Steven Colbert.
Posted by: neversaylie | September 29, 2009 9:16 AM | Report abuse
Great AZ political reporters: Dan Nowicki with the Arizona Republic and Howard Fischer with Capitol Media Services.
Posted by: michellep1 | September 29, 2009 8:31 AM | Report abuse
In Kansas: Dion Lefler of The Wichita Eagle
Posted by: jee1029 | September 28, 2009 11:47 PM | Report abuse
Carlos Guerra at the S.A. Express-News would have made my list but he upped and retired two weeks ago.
I still think Ken Herman is a worthy addition to the TX journalist list [Austin A-S].
Posted by: mark_in_austin | September 28, 2009 11:13 PM | Report abuse
For Kentucky, Al Cross is certainly the dean of political newspersons. But Tom Loftus of the Courier-Journal, and Beverly Fortune at the Herald Leader in Lexington both are pretty sharp.
Posted by: eburbage33 | September 28, 2009 10:51 PM | Report abuse
I agree with maryg1. Dan Nowicki is an outstanding political reporter in Arizona. He contributes many years of solid experience at the state and federal level. He also happens to be an extremely hard working individual who is passionate about the accuracy and balance of his reporting.
Posted by: copper10 | September 28, 2009 8:11 PM | Report abuse
In Arizona, no one comes close to Dan Nowicki at the Arizona Republic. His political blog is well-read by political insiders (and outsiders) and his front-page political stories are not to be missed. He covered the McCain campaign thoroughly from a local perspective in 2008 and now focuses his attention on national politics as they relate to Arizona.
Posted by: maryg1 | September 28, 2009 5:13 PM | Report abuse
For Kentucky:
Al Cross who is Rural Journalism Prof at UK and Courier Journal contributor.
Bill Bartleman also does a great job covering the Western side of the state for the Paducah Sun.
Posted by: mkf1 | September 28, 2009 4:40 PM | Report abuse
Missouri:
Phill Brooks of Missouri Digital News
Jason Rosenbaum of the Missouri Lawyers Weekly (formerly the Columbia Daily Tribune)
Posted by: NomeMike | September 28, 2009 4:37 PM | Report abuse
Kansas nomination:
Paul Soutar - Kansas Watchdog
a new online service at http://kansas.watchdog.org/
Interesting piece on $2 billion in unencumbered cash at http://kansas.watchdog.org/2009/08/11/buried-treasure/
Posted by: davetrabert | September 28, 2009 4:17 PM | Report abuse
I thought you were talking about print media, so I totally forgot my favorite Alaska television political reporter, Matt Felling. He's so far beyond the rest of AK TV news it's not even funny.
(Gossip: does it help his case that his girlfriend is Christy Harvey from Center for American Progress??? Yes, DC, Alaska has her now and you CAN'T have her back, MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)
Posted by: celticdivaak | September 28, 2009 3:39 PM | Report abuse
New York:
Steve Kornacki at PolitickerNY is one of the best journalists in the field, in any state.
Posted by: ibenmeir | September 28, 2009 3:37 PM | Report abuse
I don't know if he's still there anymore, but Andy Shaw of ABC's Chicago affiliate was probably one of the best political reporters around for Illinois. But ABC Chicago ought to get a mention for Illinois.
Posted by: Corey_NY | September 28, 2009 3:21 PM | Report abuse
Definitely feel like you're missing Phil Trounstine in California from the blog calbuzz. One of the best sources for local and state politics out there.
Posted by: austenlc | September 28, 2009 3:04 PM | Report abuse
Minnesota - MinnPost.com's Doug Grow and Eric Black, and the folks at TheUptake.org
Posted by: CoreyLAnderson | September 28, 2009 2:41 PM | Report abuse
For MINNESOTA:
WCCO-TV's Pat Kessler. He has a bead on state politics as well as any other of the reporters mentioned, and is the best TV capital reporter in the state.
Posted by: ubetcha489 | September 28, 2009 2:32 PM | Report abuse
Indiana -- Brian Howey, Howey Politics Indiana, formerly of Fort Wayne and Elkhart newspapers
Posted by: valpofan33 | September 28, 2009 2:20 PM | Report abuse
MICHIGAN
Kyle Melinn of City Pulse and MIRS News Service
http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/by-author-107-1.html
Posted by: edwardlahoa | September 28, 2009 2:03 PM | Report abuse
Mississippi - Sid Salter's definitely the top of the list. Bobby Harrison's paper is the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Some may list him, but he has a pretty strong bias.
Additional reporters
AP Mississippi - Emily Wagster Pettus
Sun Herald - Geoff Pender (www.sunherald.com)
Posted by: jscms | September 28, 2009 2:02 PM | Report abuse
Pennsylvania - Alex Roarty of PoliticsPA (http://www.politicspa.com)
Posted by: afeth | September 28, 2009 1:46 PM | Report abuse
Check out Virginia's only TV reporter covering the state capitol full time, Adam Rhew from WVIR TV in Charlottesville. Blog at http://www.nbc29.com/Global/link.asp?L=391021&nav=menu496_2_10
Posted by: nbennett1 | September 28, 2009 1:41 PM | Report abuse
I think I'll let you refine your crib sheet on your own, Chris.
Posted by: justjoeking | September 28, 2009 1:34 PM | Report abuse
I think you're definitely missing Jeff Shapiro from the Richmond Times-Dispatch on the Virginia list.
Posted by: cfidd | September 28, 2009 1:17 PM | Report abuse
Alaska nominations:
1) Rachel D'Oro -- Alaska Associated Press
2) Sean Cockerham -- Anchorage Daily News
3) Kyle Hopkins -- Anchorage Daily News
Posted by: celticdivaak | September 28, 2009 1:06 PM | Report abuse
Hopefully, all of those California newspapers are out of business this time next year.
NO FEDERAL BAILOUT FOR NEWSPAPERS!!!
Posted by: JakeD | September 28, 2009 12:58 PM | Report abuse
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Oklahoma: KOSU's Michael Cross rocks!