Amy Walter
2022 Icon

Political Analyst 

b. October 19, 1969

“I knew I didn’t want to go into pure partisan politics, so covering it and analyzing it was very much up my alley.”

Amy Walter is the publisher and editor in chief of “The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,” a highly respected nonpartisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns. An expert covering Washington politics for more than 25 years, Walter has regularly provided analysis on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CBS’s “Face the Nation,” “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace, “PBS NewsHour” and other national media outlets. 

Walter was born in Virginia and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in government from Colby College. She moved to Washington, D.C., and interned for the Women’s Campaign Fund, working successfully to elect females to Congress. When she realized she was more interested in political coverage and analysis than partisan politics, Walter joined “The Cook Political Report,” covering the House of Representatives. As a senior editor there, she developed a reputation for objective, astute political commentary. Around this time, she married her girlfriend, Kathryn Hamm, even though same-sex marriage was not yet recognized in Virginia. 

Walter left the “The Cook Political Report” in 2006 to become editor in chief of National Journal’s “Hotline,” Washington’s premier daily briefing on American politics, and served as an on-air analyst for major media outlets. Known for her authoritative election coverage, she was a member of CNN’s Emmy Award-winning 2006 election-night team. Walter subsequently served as political director of ABC, beginning in 2010, before returning to “The Cook Political Report” in 2013 as editor in chief. She hosted “Politics with Amy Walter” on WNYC public radio’s “The Takeaway” from 2017 to 2021. 

Respected for her insights by Democrats and Republicans alike, Walter received the Washington Post’s Crystal Ball Award for her spot-on political forecasting. George magazine named her one of the most powerful people in politics, and Washingtonian magazine named her one of the “Top 50 Journalists.” In 2021 Washingtonian listed Walter among Washington’s most powerful women. In addition to her on-air commentary, she is frequently quoted as an elections expert in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times and other leading publications. 

Walter was an inaugural fellow at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and serves on its Board of Advisors. She is an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees at Colby College, where she received an honorary doctorate in 2017. 

Walter married her wife again legally in 2013. The couple lives in Washington, D.C., with their son.