Career Timeline of Steve Kornacki: Major Achievements and Milestones

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: November 5, 2025

How Steve Kornacki built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Steve Kornacki is an American political journalist, writer, and television presenter, currently serving as a national political correspondent for NBC News. He has contributed articles to numerous prominent publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Kornacki is best known for his data-driven analysis and multimedia anchoring of election coverage for MSNBC, leading the network's analysis of voting results for U.S. Election Day from 2014 to 2024. His in-depth understanding of political data has made him a popular and respected figure in American political commentary.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2002: Career at PoliticsNJ.com

In 2002, Steve Kornacki began his journalism career as a reporter for PoliticsNJ.com, a New Jersey political news site owned by David Wildstein.

2006: Departure from PoliticsNJ.com

In 2006, Steve Kornacki ended his role as a reporter at PoliticsNJ.com, concluding his work at the New Jersey political news site.

2012: Co-hosting The Cycle on MSNBC

In 2012, Steve Kornacki began co-hosting "The Cycle" on MSNBC with Krystal Ball, Touré Neblett, and S.E. Cupp.

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April 2013: Taking over MSNBC's Up

In April 2013, Steve Kornacki took over the MSNBC program "Up", which aired on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 to 10 am.

2014: MSNBC's Election Coverage Map Correspondent

Since 2014, Steve Kornacki has been MSNBC's election coverage map correspondent, playing a key role in the network's election analysis.

2016: Hosting Daily Program on MSNBC

In 2016, Steve Kornacki began hosting a daily program from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on MSNBC and frequently guest hosted on "Hardball with Chris Matthews", "All in with Chris Hayes" and "The Rachel Maddow Show".

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May 8, 2017: Named National Political Correspondent for NBC News Group

On May 8, 2017, Steve Kornacki was named National Political Correspondent for NBC News Group, and continued co-hosting the 4 p.m. edition of MSNBC Live with Nicolle Wallace.

2018: Publication of "The Red and the Blue"

In 2018, Steve Kornacki published his book titled "The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism", which explores the polarization of politics.

The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism

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October 2019: Hosting Article II: Inside Impeachment Podcast

In October 2019, Steve Kornacki began hosting a podcast for NBC News called "Article II: Inside Impeachment", covering the inquiry and first impeachment of Donald Trump.

December 2020: Appearance on Football Night in America

In December 2020, following his work on the 2020 United States presidential election, Steve Kornacki appeared on "Football Night in America" to break down playoff scenarios for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season. He was also named one of People's sexiest men alive and his use of Gap khakis became a fashion trend.

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2021: Appearances on NBC Sports Coverage

In 2021, Steve Kornacki made appearances on NBC's coverage of the Kentucky Derby, where he correctly predicted Medina Spirit as the apparent winner, and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

April 2025: Departure from MSNBC

In April 2025, it was announced that Steve Kornacki would depart MSNBC and serve as chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports, ahead of Comcast's planned spin-off of MSNBC and other cable networks from NBCUniversal.