I cover the intersection of campaigns, elections and political power. I examine the big personalities, ideas and emotions that drive American politics. I see politics as an expression of the country’s values, so I am particularly interested in examining how those are shifting in this moment of technological, cultural and economic change.
I’ve covered national politics for nearly two decades, including five presidential campaigns, the White House, Congress and countless congressional races.
I joined The Times in 2018, as the founding author of the On Politics newsletter. Previously, I was a national political writer at The Associated Press, where I was a lead reporter on the 2016 presidential race. Before that, I reported for Politico, Bloomberg News, Businessweek and The American Lawyer magazine.
I’m the co-author of “The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America,” a book chronicling the fate of federal abortion rights over the past decade, along with my colleague Elizabeth Dias. I have taught a class on political journalism at Columbia University.
I was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University Journalism School. After more than a dozen years in Washington, I now live in New York with my family.
The Times has a detailed ethics policy, which all Times journalists follow to ensure our independence and credibility. For my work, that means I strive for fairness, accuracy and discretion. I do not make political donations, endorse political candidates, sign petitions or participate in political causes. I do not attend political rallies, fund-raisers or protests unless I am covering them. I vote but I make a personal choice not to register as a member of a political party. My personal political opinions are irrelevant to how I do my work. I am covering the story of America; not myself.
I rarely communicate over social media but I enjoy hearing from readers.
Email: lisa.lerer@nytimes.com
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With countless calls and a rush of campaign events, the president’s team began a damage-control effort to pressure and plead with anxious Democratic lawmakers, surrogates, activists and donors.
By Lisa Lerer, Shane Goldmacher and Katie Rogers
A range of despairing Democrats began to reconsider their nominee after his rough debate showing, but there was no agreement on how, or whether, to urge him to step off the ticket.
By Katie Glueck, Jennifer Medina, Lisa Lerer and Annie Karni
A New York Times/Siena College poll shows Republicans with greater enthusiasm for their candidate.
By Lisa Lerer
Plus, the soaring costs of caring for pets.
By Tracy Mumford, Lisa Lerer, Ivan Nechepurenko, Katie Thomas, Ian Stewart and Jessica Metzger
Across the country this week, Democrats are focusing on abortion issues and emphasizing Donald Trump’s role in nominating the justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.
By Katie Glueck and Lisa Lerer
The matchup on Thursday will be the earliest presidential debate in American history, and any potential missteps could linger for weeks or months.
By Lisa Lerer, Shane Goldmacher, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman
They are veering from cautious optimism to complete pessimism about their long odds this year, with two liberal-leaning state ballot measures having the potential to lift turnout.
By Lisa Lerer and Patricia Mazzei
The decision does not eliminate efforts to restrict the availability of the pill.
By Abbie VanSickle
A ruling limiting access to a widely available abortion pill would have given Democrats another way to hammer their opponents on an issue that’s become politically damaging for Republican politicians.
By Lisa Lerer
Justice Samuel Alito’s secretly recorded remarks come as many conservatives have openly embraced the view that American democracy must be grounded in a Christian worldview.
By Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer