AP announces politics, democracy and elections team

We have been expanding our U.S. politics, elections and democracy coverage this year to produce a deeper, more cohesive report that unifies AP’s journalism produced in Washington with reporting from bureaus across the country. As we enter the final months before the Nov. 8 midterms, we are thrilled to announce the members of the AP’s national politics, elections and democracy team and highlight their reporting beats and coverage areas.

• Steve Peoples, based in New York, will continue as AP’s chief political writer with a focus on the biggest political trends, voter behavior and major statewide campaigns.
• Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, will cover politics in Georgia, a state that is on the frontlines of some of the biggest political stories.
• Tom Beaumont, based in Des Moines, will cover politics in Iowa and the Midwest, with a focus on House campaigns and the onset of the 2024 caucuses.
• Sara Burnett, based in Chicago, will cover governors’ races and the intersection of gender and politics .
• Christina A. Cassidy, based in Atlanta, will cover how elections are administered throughout the U.S.
• Jill Colvin, based in New York, will cover former President Donald Trump and the GOP. 
• Jonathan J. Cooper, based in Phoenix, will cover the rapidly changing politics of Arizona and the southwest.
• Gary Fields, based in Washington, will cover challenges to democracy with a focus on marginalized and disaffected people.
• Adriana Gomez Licon, based in Miami, will cover the political influence of Latino voters.
• Meg Kinnard, based in Columbia, South Carolina, will cover breaking news, the South and the 2024 Republican presidential primary. 
• Michelle Price, based in New York, will focus on the political players in the nation’s largest metropolis. 
• Nick Riccardi, based in Denver, will cover emerging threats to democracy, including new rules and tactics that make it harder to vote.
• Brian Slodysko, based in Washington, will cover influence, money and politics. 
• Will Weissert, based in Washington, will cover Democratic politics, including efforts to maintain Congress and the emerging 2024 campaign.

With their reporting expertise and strategic locations across the U.S., this team is in a strong position to cover upcoming elections with speed and sophistication. And this is only the beginning. We also posted a two-year reporting position for a journalist who will cover voting access and race in the U.S., and we will spend the coming months continuing to build out the team and our coverage.   Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Steven Sloan, Democracy News Editor Tom Verdin and Deputy Political Editor Ashley Thomas are leading this expanded team and our overall coverage of politics, elections and democracy in the U.S. The team will continue to work closely to produce ambitious journalism with our talented staff in Washington and bureaus across the country. At a time when the U.S. is at a political crossroads, we are excited to devote more resources to this critical coverage that is central to the AP’s mission. Please join us in congratulating the journalists who are at the forefront of this effort.  Anna and Steven

Learn more about AP's role in elections.