Astead Herndon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993 or 1994[1] Illinois, United States |
| Alma mater | Marquette University (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | National politics reporter forThe New York Times Political analyst and contributor forCNN |
Astead Wesley Herndon (born 1993 or 1994) is an American journalist. Since October 2025, he hosts a podcast and directs political coverage atVox. He was previously a reporter forThe New York Times, where he covered politics and hosted the podcastThe Run-Up.[2][1] He has also contributed toCNN and reported for theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel andThe Boston Globe.
Herndon was raised inFlossmoor,Illinois.[3] His father established a branch of theChurch of God in Christ.[4] He graduated fromMarquette University with a degree in journalism.[5][6] While there, he became involved with theNational Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). He worked withAmeriCorps during a gap year while at Marquette.[2]
Herndon worked as a journalist with theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel and later inWashington D.C. as part of theWhite House press corps.[4] After interning atThe Boston Globe, Herndon became a reporter there in 2015, where he worked as part of their Metro and City Hall sections.[2] Among his pieces while at the Globe included uncovering real estate fraud in theBoston area, as well as turning down a $5,000 bribe and uncovering the source of the bribe in a two-part story.[5]
He joinedThe New York Times in 2018.[5] He has extensively covered national elections with the newspaper, starting with the2018 midterm elections.[6] In 2019, he was the newspaper's reporter forKamala Harris'2020 presidential campaign. His coverage of the2020 presidential election was included as part ofThe New York Times nomination for thePulitzer Prize in 2021.[7] His 2024 profile of Kamala Harris was nominated for aNational Magazine Award.[8]
Herndon hostedThe Run-Up, a podcast created in 2022 and dedicated to election coverage and politics more broadly. It was named one of the best podcasts of 2022 byThe Economist.[7] The podcast was also nominated for theToner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting and aLivingston Award.[3]
In 2021, he was named a member ofForbes 30 Under 30 in the Media category.[1] In 2023, he was named a Pritzker fellow at theUniversity of Chicago Institute of Politics for their Winter-Spring 2023 cohort.[7] Herndon was awarded with the Distinguished Journalist Award byDePaul University's Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence in 2025.[3]
In October 2025, Herndon left theTimes to host a podcast forVox and serve as editorial director of its political coverage.[9]
Herndon also works as a political analyst and contributor for CNN.[6][7]
