Jessica Taylor
Jessica Taylor is a political reporter with NPR based in Washington, DC, covering elections and breaking news out of the White House and Congress. Her reporting can be heard and seen on a variety of NPR platforms, from on air to online. For more than a decade, she has reported on and analyzed House and Senate elections and is a contributing author to the 2020 edition of The Almanac of American Politics and is a senior contributor to The Cook Political Report.
Before joining NPR in May 2015, Taylor was the campaign editor for The Hill newspaper. Taylor has also reported for the NBC News Political Unit, Inside Elections, National Journal, The Hotline and Politico. Taylor has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, C-SPAN, CNN, and she is a regular on the weekly roundup on NPR's 1A with Joshua Johnson. On Election Night 2012, Taylor served as an off-air analyst for CBS News in New York.
A native of Elizabethton, Tennessee, she graduated magna cum laude in 2007 with a B.A. in political science from Furman University.
-
The special election runoff in deep red Mississippi was expected to be a sleepy affair — a formality, even. Instead, the race has tightened as the GOP candidate stumbled over the state's racist past. -
At a debate Tuesday night, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith apologized to anyone offended by her "public hanging" remark. Her African-American opponent Mike Espy said she reinforces stereotypes about the state. -
Democrat Stacey Abrams isn't backing down from her fight against what she calls voter suppression tactics and election mismanagement after losing the Georgia governor's race. -
Ultimately, even a hand recount didn't shift the final margin of the race too much. Scott's win means Republicans have picked up two Senate seats even as the GOP lost substantial ground in the House. -
Keeping Florida in the GOP column is a highlight for Republicans this year. While Republicans held onto the Senate, Democrats flipped the House and made major gains in the governor's contests, too. -
Republican Brian Kemp will be the next governor of Georgia, with Democrat Stacey Abrams bowing out Friday afternoon. She promised a "major federal lawsuit" against the state over voting practices. -
Sinema is the first woman Arizona has elected to the Senate ever, and the first Democrat the state elected to the chamber in 30 years. She'll make history as the first openly bisexual senator. -
Recounts are underway in the close Florida races for governor and Senate. Georgia counties have to report results by Tuesday evening, which could move the race for governor closer to a final result. -
Thanks to a mix of retirements and defeats on Tuesday, some of the most high-profile lawmakers will soon be exiting Capitol Hill, from Paul Ryan to Beto O'Rourke to Claire McCaskill.
-
Florida remains the most important state for Trump in his re-election, and Republicans are just barely hanging on in big races. Democratic gains in Rust Belt states could spell trouble.
-
Despite raising more than $60 million and garnering national attention, O'Rourke was unable to overcome the GOP's hold on the state. -
There are dozens of competitive races across the country that will determine control of the House, Senate and governors' seats. Here are the pivotal seats that could unlock what happens.
