WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Almanac of American Politics, long known as the "The Bible of American Politics," has named Louis Jacobson as Chief Author. He becomes only the third Chief Author in the reference book’s 52-year history, following founder Michael Barone and Barone’s successor, Rich Cohen.
Cohen will be stepping back after serving as Chief Author for the 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 editions. For the 2026 volume, Jacobson will serve as Chief Author, Cohen will transition to Co-Author, and Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report, will reprise his role as a Co-Author.
In addition, the Almanac will be launching an editorial board of existing writers to safeguard the volume’s high standards. The board will include Jacobson and Cohen, along with senior authors Louis Peck, Jessica Taylor, and Cameron Joseph.
"Rich Cohen’s leadership has been instrumental in upholding the quality and depth of the Almanac of American Politics," said Joel Poznansky, Chairman of Columbia Books & Information Services. "His dedication over three decades has set a high standard that readers and researchers have come to trust. As we welcome Lou Jacobson as Chief Author, we are confident that his vast experience, editorial rigor, and passion for political analysis will continue to make the Almanac an indispensable resource for understanding the intricacies of American governance.”
The Almanac is published every two years in print (roughly 2,100 pages) and eBook formats. Publication of the 2026 edition is scheduled for September 2nd, 2025. Within weeks of the conclusion of the 2024 election, the Almanac will publish profiles of the several dozen newly elected U.S. House members, which will be delivered to all customers who preorder the 2026 edition. www.thealmanacofamericanpolitics.com
As in the past, the 2026 edition of the Almanac will feature profiles of every senator, House member and governor as well as chapters describing every state and congressional district. It will also include profiles of the president and vice president, overview essays by Jacobson and Cook, and a wealth of statistical information, including a breakdown of the votes cast for president in 2024 in all states and congressional districts, campaign finance data, state and congressional district maps, key votes cast by members of Congress, and updated demographic information for every state and district.
Jacobson will continue to serve full-time as chief correspondent for PolitiFact, which fact-checks statements in politics. The 2026 edition of the Almanac will be Jacobson’s eighth. He served as a contributing writer for the 2000 edition and as principal contributing writer for the 2004 edition, writing congressional district descriptions for both editions. Beginning with the 2016 edition, he has been a senior author, writing the 50 state overviews and the 50 gubernatorial profiles.
Jacobson joined PolitiFact in 2009. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade covering Congress, lobbying and politics for National Journal; three years as deputy editor of the congressional newspaper Roll Call; and more than two years as the founding editor of CongressNow, a Roll Call affiliate. Jacobson is the only person to have been a contributor to each of the three main political handicapping publications: the Cook Political Report, the Rothenberg Political Report (now known as Inside Elections) and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Since 2002, he has been handicapping a wide range of state and federal races, including for Roll Call, Stateline.org and Governing and now for U.S. News & World Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, PoliticsPA.com and the Tampa Bay Times. Jacobson has filed articles from 49 of the 50 states (lacking only Alaska).
Prior to becoming chief author, Cohen served as co-author of the Almanac from 2001 to 2010. He has written about Congress for the National Journal, Politico and Congressional Quarterly and is the author of several books, including “Washington at Work: Back Rooms and Clean Air, a case study of the 1990 Clean Air Act,” and “Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics.”
“After 30 years of profile-writing and managing the Almanac’s editorial team, I welcome the opportunity to step back and pursue other projects, with confidence that the book continues in good hands,” Cohen said. “Like other big projects, the Almanac has been a labor of love for its team. I express special appreciation to two individuals whose contributions have been immeasurable: 1) Long-time National Journal publisher John Fox Sullivan, whose confidence in our work was essential and reassuring, especially in the face of continuing changes in politics and the marketplace, and 2) My wife, Lyn Schlitt, who has gained first-hand insights on the often strange habits of writers, and has offered vital love, support and patience during occasionally challenging times in producing the book.”
Cook is a contributor to the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, a political analyst for the National Journal Group, and an analyst for NBC News. Currently, he is the Kevin P. Reilly Sr. Endowed Chair in Political Communication at Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication.
Barone, who created the Almanac in 1972 and was its guiding light for 44 years, is senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner and a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
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