Leigh Ann Caldwell

Leigh Ann Caldwell is a reporter for The Washington Post, covering Congress and politics. She co-authors The Washington Post’s Early 202 flagship political newsletter, focusing on Congress, politics, and the White House. She is also an anchor for "Washington Post Live," conducting high-impact newsmaker interviews. She can be seen regularly on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, NPR, BBC and WTOP.

At the Post, Caldwell has broken numerous stories on Capitol Hill, including the efforts to depose former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the efforts to replace him. With a deep understanding of politics and Congress, she peels back the layers helping readers to understand what motivates people in power.

Before joining The Post in 2022, Caldwell was a correspondent at "NBC News," where she won an Emmy for her coverage of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. She covered both of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trials; the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and its aftermath; several budget battles and government shutdowns; four Supreme Court confirmations, including for Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett; and other major stories. She has covered every presidential and midterm election since 2008.

In addition to her Emmy, Caldwell received the Joan Shorenstein Barone Award for Excellence in Congressional Reporting in 2018 for her leading role in NBC’s coverage of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. She also received the Radio Television Digital News First Amendment Clarity Award as part of the NBC News Road Warrior team covering the 2018 midterm elections. In addition, she won a New York Press Club Award for her feature writing about Trump during the 2016 election.

She graduated from North Carolina State University, where she was a Division 1 scholarship distance swimmer. A native of Las Vegas, Caldwell lives in Washington with her husband and two children.