Charles Edward Cook Jr. (born November 20, 1953) is an American
political analyst
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
who specializes in election forecasts and political trends.
Cook writes election forecasts and rankings in the publication he founded, ''
The Cook Political Report
''The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter'' is an American online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the U.S. Presidency, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and U.S. governors' offices. Se ...
'', and in other media. He is a political analyst for the ''National Journal'' and since 1994 with
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
. Cook writes two columns for ''
National Journal
''National Journal'' is an advisory services company based in Washington, D.C., offering services in government affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder mapping, and policy brands research for government and business leaders. It publishes d ...
'', "The Cook Report" for the main publication and "Off to the Races" for the online National Journal Congress Daily. Since the 1984 US presidential election, Cook has provided election night commentary for various television networks.
Washington, DC
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.
Cook worked on Capitol Hill for then-Senator
J. Bennett Johnston
John Bennett Johnston Jr. (born June 10, 1932) is a retired American attorney, politician, and later lobbyist. A member of the Democratic Party, Johnston represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate from 1972 to 1997.
Beginning his political caree ...
, a Democrat from Shreveport who served from 1972 to 1997. Cook also worked for the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current Chair is S ...
and the Democratic Policy Committee. In addition, he worked as a pollster and campaign consultant and on the staff of BUILD-PAC, the political action committee of the trade association, the
National Association of Home Builders
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is one of the largest trade associations in the United States, representing the interests of home builders, developers, contractors, and associated businesses. NAHB is headquartered in Washington, ...
.
In 1984, he founded the newsletter ''The Cook Political Report'', which publishes analyses of the primaries and
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
s for federal political offices and state governorships. The ''Report's'' predictions are accorded high credibility among journalists and politicians.
In 2006, Cook was inducted into the
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame The Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame located in Winnfield, Louisiana. Created by a 1987 act of the Louisiana State Legislature, it honors the best-known politicians and political journalists in the state.
H ...
in Winnfield.
In 2010, he won the Carey McWilliams award from the
American Political Science Association
The American Political Science Association (APSA) is a professional association of political science students and scholars in the United States. Founded in 1903 in the Tilton Memorial Library (now Tilton Hall) of Tulane University in New Orleans, ...
. The award is given annually to honor a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics and carries a prize of $750.
In 2013, he served as a Resident Fellow at the
Harvard Institute of Politics
The Institute of Politics (IOP) is an institute of Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University that was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, as well as to inspire Harvard undergraduates to consider careers in polit ...
.
In 2021,
Amy Walter
Amy Elizabeth Walter (born October 19, 1969)"Profile: Amy Walter"
took over Cook's roles as Editor and Publisher of the since-renamed ''Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.'' He will continue to write columns and analysis for the newsletter as well as for National Journal.
Family life
Cook is the son of Mary Hudgens Cook and Charles Cook Sr. (
Magnolia, Arkansas
Magnolia is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 11,577. The city is the county seat of Columbia County.
Magnolia is home to the World's Largest Charcoal Grill and the World Championship S ...
1916–2012). His father was a highly decorated officer in the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during World War II, and an electrical engineering graduate from the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas In ...
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase () is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place ( Chevy Chase (CDP), Maryland) that straddle the northwest border of Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Several settlements in t ...
. He has two sisters, Carole and Margaret, and a brother, Robert.