Steve Kornacki

{{Infobox person

| name = Steve Kornacki

| image = Steve Kornacki (cropped).jpg

| caption = At the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, 2019

| birth_name = Stephan Joseph Kornacki Jr.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|8|22}}

| birth_place = Groton, Massachusetts, U.S.

| alma_mater = Boston University (BA)

| occupation = {{Hlist|Journalist|television presenter|commentator}}

| years_active = 2002–present

| employer = {{Plainlist|

}}

Stephan Joseph Kornacki Jr. (born August 22, 1979){{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/22/playbook-birthday-steve-kornacki-791281|title=BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC|work=Politico|date=August 22, 2018|access-date=November 6, 2020}} is an American political journalist, writer, and television presenter. Kornacki is a national political correspondent for NBC News. He has written articles for Salon, The New York Observer, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Boston Globe, and The Daily Beast. Kornacki is the multimedia anchor and data analyst for much of MSNBC's The Place for Politics campaign coverage, which airs during Election Day in the United States since 2016.

Early life and education

Kornacki was born in Groton, Massachusetts, to Stephan Joseph Kornacki Sr. and Anne Bernadette (Ramonas).{{Cite web|url=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/69417118/person/46199625213/facts|title=Kornacki Family Tree|website=Ancestry.com }}"Ramonas-Kornacki," Hartford Courant, September 20, 1973, p. 27. He has an older sister, Kathryn Kornacki, born in January 1978,"Births," Hartford Courant, January 26, 1978, p. 17. who is a professor at Caldwell University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.caldwell.edu/academics/academic-departments/department-english/faculty-staff/english-department-faculty|title=Faculty Members|website=Caldwell University, New Jersey}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=http://thecycle.newsvine.com/_news/2012/06/22/12359028-meet-the-cycle-co-host-steve-kornacki |title=Meet 'The Cycle' co-host: Steve Kornacki - The Cycle|publisher=Thecycle.newsvine.com|access-date=June 22, 2012}} He went to Groton-Dunstable Regional High School.{{cite web|last1=Sweeney|first1=Emily|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2016/12/02/talking-politics-with-steve-kornacki/xa62eAjnmIKCSgseVbZjgM/story.html|title=Talking politics with Steve Kornacki|work=The Boston Globe|url-access=subscription|date=December 2, 2016|access-date=November 6, 2020}} Kornacki attended Boston University and graduated with a degree in film and television.{{cite web|title=The Straight Gay World of MSNBC anchor & politics wonk Steve Kornacki|url=http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2014/04/16/straight-gay-world-steve-kornacki-msnbc|access-date=November 12, 2015|work=Out|date=April 16, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Boston University's Steve Kornacki: 'Drop Dead Fred' Helped Me Choose My Major|date=June 15, 2017 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/college-game-plan/boston-university-s-steve-kornacki-drop-dead-fred-helped-me-n770506|publisher=NBC News}}

Career

He started his journalism career as a reporter for PoliticsNJ.com,{{cite web|url=http://www.politicsnj.com/ |title=All politics at PoliticsNJ.com, New Jersey's Online political network |access-date=November 23, 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040925000635/http://www.politicsnj.com/ |archive-date=September 25, 2004 }} a New Jersey political news site owned by David Wildstein, where he worked from 2002 to 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.com/up/watch/chris-christies-e-mail-to-steve-kornacki-134577219547 |title=Chris Christie's e-mail to Steve Kornacki |publisher=MSNBC |date=September 17, 2014 |access-date=November 23, 2016}} He formerly co-hosted a political news series on News 12 New Jersey and reported on the U.S. Congress for Roll Call. His articles have been published in the New York Observer, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, The Boston Globe, and The Daily Beast. He is a former politics editor at Salon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/writer/steve_kornacki|title=Steve Kornacki|website=Salon}}

From 2012 to 2013, Kornacki co-hosted The Cycle on MSNBC with political strategist Krystal Ball, pop-culture commentator Touré Neblett, and conservative columnist S.E. Cupp.{{cite web|last1=Mirkinson|first1=Jack|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-cycle-msnbc-3-pm-se-cupp-toure-_n_1616709?1340309042|title='The Cycle': MSNBC's New 3 PM Show Features Four Co-Hosts|work=HuffPost|date=June 21, 2012|access-date=November 7, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna51421403|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113122353/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna51421403|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 13, 2020|title=It's official: The Cycle has a new co-host|publisher=NBC News|date=April 4, 2013|access-date=November 7, 2020}} He subsequently took over another MSNBC program, Up, airing Saturdays and Sundays from 8 to 10 am, starting in April 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-kornacki-replaces-chris-hayes-429750 |title=Steve Kornacki Replaces Chris Hayes on MSNBC's 'Up' |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=December 5, 2013}} Since 2014, he has been MSNBC's election coverage map correspondent.{{cite web|last1=Vanderhoof|first1=Erin|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/11/steve-kornacki-deserves-this-wave-of-internet-love|title=Steve Kornacki Deserves This Wave of Internet Love|work=Vanity Fair|date=November 6, 2020|access-date=November 7, 2020}}{{cite web|last1=Koblin|first1=John|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/business/media/election-night-maps-tv.html|title=Loaded With Data and Whiz-Bang Effects, Maps Are the Real Stars of Election-Night TV|work=The New York Times|date=November 5, 2018|access-date=November 7, 2020}}

Beginning in 2016, Kornacki hosted a daily program from 4 p.m. to 5 pm, and frequently guest hosts on Hardball with Chris Matthews, All in with Chris Hayes and The Rachel Maddow Show. On May 8, 2017, Kornacki was named National Political Correspondent for NBC News Group, with plans to continue co-hosting the 4 p.m. edition of MSNBC Live with Nicolle Wallace.{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2017/05/ivankas-listening-tour-trump-to-announce-slate-of-judges-takeaways-from-macrons-win-obama-urges-political-courage-to-save-aca-scoop-stuart-jolly-parts-ways-with-lobbying-firm-spg-weekend-weddings-220171|title=IVANKA'S LISTENING TOUR – TRUMP to announce slate of judges – TAKEAWAYS from Macron's win – OBAMA urges 'political courage' to save ACA – SCOOP: STUART JOLLY parts ways with lobbying firm SPG – WEEKEND WEDDINGS|website=Politico|access-date=May 8, 2017}} He published a book titled The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism in 2018, which chronicles "the polarization of politics".{{cite news|last1=Lane|first1=Charles|author-link1=Charles Lane (journalist)|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/how-the-seeds-of-todays-partisan-deadlock-were-sown-during-the-1990s/2018/10/11/5d52c9e0-c8c0-11e8-9b1c-a90f1daae309_story.html|title=Book review of The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism by Steve Kornacki|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 11, 2018|access-date=November 6, 2020}}{{cite web|last1=Mauch|first1=Ally|url=https://people.com/tv/msnbc-steve-kornacki-6-things-to-know/|title=MSNBC's Steve Kornacki: 6 Things to Know About the Journalist|work=People|date=November 6, 2020|access-date=November 6, 2020}} In October 2019, Kornacki began hosting a podcast for NBC News covering the inquiry and first impeachment of Donald Trump called Article II: Inside Impeachment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/impeachment-podcast-steve-kornacki|title=Podcast: The Trump impeachment inquiry with Steve Kornacki|work=NBC News}}

Following his work on the 2020 United States presidential election, Kornacki was named by People as one of the sexiest men alive,{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/celebrity/sexiest-man-alive-2020-men-of-the-year/|title=Chris Evans, Maluma and More Hot Guys Who Make Up PEOPLE's Sexiest Men of 2020|work=People|access-date=December 10, 2020}} with his use of Gap khakis eventually becoming a fashion trend on its own, colloquially referred to as "Kornacki Khakis".{{Cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/steve-kornacki-gap-pants|title=Everyone Wants Steve Kornacki's Extremely Normal Khakis|date=November 12, 2020|website=GQ}}{{Cite web|url=https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-trends/msnbc-steve-kornacki-khakis-gap-dockers-everlane-rhone-j-crew-254575/|title=Get the Look: Steve Kornacki-Inspired Khakis for Men and Women|first1=Liz|last1=Warren|date=January 12, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jan/10/kornacki-khakis-for-the-win-internet-msnbc-host-trousers|title='Kornacki khakis for the win!' Internet agrees MSNBC host is trousers icon|date=January 10, 2021|website=The Guardian}} He was also approached to bring his unique analytic style to NBC Sports, first appearing on Football Night in America in December 2020 to break down playoff scenarios for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season.{{Cite web|last=Princiotti|first=Nora|date=December 6, 2020|title=Steve Kornacki, National Treasure, Is Game for the NFL Playoffs|url=https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/6/22158110/steve-kornacki-sunday-night-football-msnbc-election|access-date=December 10, 2020|website=The Ringer}}{{Cite magazine|last=Pickman|first=Ben|title=Steve Kornacki to Appear on NBC's Football Night in America for Rest of Season|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/12/09/steve-kornacki-sunday-night-football-pregame-nbc|access-date=December 10, 2020|magazine=Sports Illustrated}} He would later make appearances on NBC's coverage of the 2021 Kentucky Derby, where he was the only personality to correctly predict Medina Spirit as the apparent winner of the race (although the win was later given to Mandaloun after a positive drug test by Medina Spirit), and the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |title=Steve Kornacki predicts Kentucky Derby winner |url=https://www.today.com/video/steve-kornacki-predicts-kentucky-derby-winner-111115845521 |publisher=NBC - The TODAY Show}}{{cite web |title=NBC, MSNBC political analyst Steve Kornacki correctly predicts Medina Spirit would win Kentucky Derby |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2021/05/01/2021-kentucky-derby-steve-kornacki-correctly-predicts-medina-spirit/115945302/ |work=USA Today}}{{cite web |title=RECORD 178 COMMENTATORS JOIN NBC OLYMPICS' COVERAGE OF THE GAMES OF THE XXXII OLYMPIAD FROM TOKYO, JAPAN |date=June 23, 2021 |url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2021/06/23/record-178-commentators-join-nbc-olympics-coverage-of-the-games-of-the-xxxii-olympiad-from-tokyo-japan/ |publisher=NBC Sports Group}}

Ahead of Comcast's planned spin-off of MSNBC and other cable networks from NBCUniversal, it was announced in April 2025 that Kornacki would depart MSNBC and serve as chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports.{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=2025-04-01 |title=Steve Kornacki Exits MSNBC for NBC News, Sports as Spin-Off Nears |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/steve-kornacki-exits-msnbc-nbc-news-sports-spinco-1236353814/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Personal life

Kornacki is gay and publicly came out in 2011 through a column in Salon.{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2011/11/16/the_coming_out_story_i_never_thought_id_write/|title=The Coming Out Story I Never Thought I'd Write|author=Steve Kornacki|website=Salon|date=November 16, 2011}} {{As of|2014}}, he resides in the East Village of Manhattan.

Publications

The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism (2018). {{ISBN|9780062439000}}. {{OCLC|1099946942}}.

References

External links

[http://www.salon.com/writer/steve_kornacki/ Steve Kornacki's] columns at Salon
[http://stevekornacki.blogspot.com/ SteveKornacki.blogspot.com]
[https://soundcloud.com/beerloathing Beer and Loathing with Steve Kornacki podcast]
{{C-SPAN}}
[http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/steve-kornacki-moves-off-up-alex-wagner-to-host-new-weekend-show/273735 Kornacki moves to daytime MSNBC]

Category:1979 births

Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people

Category:21st-century American journalists

Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people

Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers

Category:American business and financial journalists

Category:American gay writers

Category:American LGBTQ broadcasters

Category:American LGBTQ journalists

Category:American male journalists

Category:American people of Polish descent

Category:American television personalities