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Jim VandeHei

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Jim VandeHei
VandeHei on MSNBC's Morning Joe in 2018
Born
James VandeHei

(1971-02-12) February 12, 1971 (age 53)
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (BA)
Occupation(s)Editor, reporter
SpouseAutumn Hanna VandeHei
Children3

James VandeHei (born February 12, 1971)[1] is an American journalist and businessman who is the co-founder and CEO of Axios and the former executive editor and co-founder of Politico. Previously, he was a national political reporter at The Washington Post, where he worked as White House correspondent.

Early life and education

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VandeHei was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin,[2] and graduated from Lourdes Academy in 1989. In 1995, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh with a double major in journalism and political science. As an undergraduate, he interned at The Brillion News in Brillion, Wisconsin, during the summer of 1993. He later interned in the office of Democratic Senator Herb Kohl in 1994, which led to his decision to become a political journalist.

Career

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After working as a sports reporter for the Oshkosh Northwestern, VandeHei moved to Washington, D.C. In 1995, began working for Inside Washington Publishers. In 1996, he was hired by "Inside the New Congress," a weekly newsletter that focuses on the House and Senate. In 1997, he began working as a reporter for Roll Call, which covers Capitol Hill. While at Roll Call, VandeHei broke the story of House Speaker-elect Bob Livingston's affairs in 1998.[3] He was the first to report in 1998 that Republicans were formally planning to impeach Bill Clinton.[citation needed]

After a stint as a national political reporter for The Wall Street Journal in 2000, VandeHei joined The Washington Post.[4]

VandeHei's work has appeared in Capital Style and The New Republic. He has appeared as a pundit on television shows on all the major networks.[5]

In 2006, VandeHei left The Washington Post to co-found a political publication, Politico.[5]

In early 2016, it was announced that VandeHei was leaving Politico after the presidential election. In April he abruptly left, prior to his previously stated departure date,[citation needed] and penned a piece in The Information about the current vapid state of media, the downward spiral of chasing clicks, and the media's future.[6]

Personal life

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He is married to Autumn Hanna VandeHei, a former staffer for House Republican Leader Tom DeLay of Texas who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation (Human Services) in the Presidency of George W. Bush. She was an executive producer of I Am Jane Doe, a film on sex trafficking. Jim and Autumn have three children and reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

References

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  1. ^ "Monday's birthdays". Politico.
  2. ^ "Biography: Jim VandeHei | Risky Business: John Harris, Jim VandeHei, and Politico Part B: A Winning Model?". ccnmtl.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  3. ^ "House Republicans rally 'round Livingston". CNN. December 17, 1998.
  4. ^ "Pulitzer Prize Board elects new member, Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Politico". The Pulitzer Prizes. December 7, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Mullins, Luke (July 17, 2016). "What Really Happened at Politico". Washingtonian. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  6. ^ VandeHei, Jim (April 19, 2016). "Escaping the Digital Media 'Crap Trap'". The Information.
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