Ron Elving Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News, where he is frequently heard as a news analyst and writes regularly for NPR.org.
Ron Elving at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley)
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Ron Elving

Allison Shelley/NPR
Ron Elving at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley)
Allison Shelley/NPR

Ron Elving

Senior Editor and Correspondent, Washington Desk

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News, where he is frequently heard as a news analyst and writes regularly for NPR.org.

He is also a professorial lecturer and Executive in Residence in the School of Public Affairs at American University, where he has also taught in the School of Communication. In 2016, he was honored with the University Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in an Adjunct Appointment. He has also taught at George Mason and Georgetown.

He was previously the political editor for USA Today and for Congressional Quarterly. He has been published by the Brookings Institution and the American Political Science Association. He has contributed chapters on Obama and the media and on the media role in Congress to the academic studies Obama in Office 2011, and Rivals for Power, 2013. Ron's earlier book, Conflict and Compromise: How Congress Makes the Law, was published by Simon & Schuster and is also a Touchstone paperback.

During his tenure as manager of NPR's Washington desk from 1999 to 2014, the desk's reporters were awarded every major recognition available in radio journalism, including the Dirksen Award for Congressional Reporting and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In 2008, the American Political Science Association awarded NPR the Carey McWilliams Award "in recognition of a major contribution to the understanding of political science."

Ron came to Washington in 1984 as a Congressional Fellow with the American Political Science Association and worked for two years as a staff member in the House and Senate. Previously, he had been state capital bureau chief for The Milwaukee Journal.

He received his bachelor's degree from Stanford University and master's degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of California – Berkeley.

Story Archive

Sunday

What government shutdowns since 1981 can tell us about the state of politics today

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Saturday

Week in politics: Sen. Menendez under indictment; looming government shutdown

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Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on the House floor about the 14th round of voting for speaker on Jan. 6, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol. The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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The Washington Post via Getty Images

Sunday

The National Museum of American History has some impeachment buttons from the Nixon years in their collection. The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Saturday

Week in politics: Biden on the UAW strike; what's behind the impeachment inquiry

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Saturday

Week in politics: Biden attends G20 summit in India; impact of Georgia election case

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Monday

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Saturday

Week in politics: Short-term spending measure; Mitch McConnell freezes again

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Members of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union are seen on a Labor Day parade float, Sept. 4, 1961. While many may associate the holiday with major retail sales and end-of summer barbecues, Labor Day's roots are in worker-driven organizing. Hans Von Nolde/AP hide caption

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Hans Von Nolde/AP

Saturday

Week in politics: Trump surrenders in Georgia; first Republican presidential debate

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Friday

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to guests at Ingeteam Inc., an electrical equipment manufacturer, on August 15, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Get Ready To Be Badgered: Wisconsin Is A Presidential Battleground

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Saturday

Week in politics: New indictments for Trump; Biden hosts Japan and South Korea

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Friday

US President Joe Biden (C) welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (R), and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to Camp David, Maryland, for a Trilateral Summit on August 18, 2023. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Summer Camp... David: Biden Welcomes South Korea, Japan Leaders

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Saturday

Week in politics: Assessing the aftermath of Trump's indictment

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The cases against Trump and Nixon raised crucial constitutional questions about how far could a president go to stay in office if convinced his reelection was crucial to the nation, Ron Elving writes. Getty Images/File hide caption

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Getty Images/File

Friday

A poll worker pulls a provisional ballot for a voter at a polling location on November 8, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Andrew Spear/Getty Images hide caption

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As Abortion Vote Looms, Ohio GOP Hopes To Rein In Ballot Measures

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Tuesday

Donald Trump places his hand on a bible as he takes the oath of office as the next president of the United States on January 20, 2017 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Saturday

Week in politics: Congress on recess; new charges against Trump; economy looks up

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GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign event at Olde Boston's Restaurant & Pub in Fort Dodge, Iowa on July 14. Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Monday

Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot holds up a copy of the famous Chicago Daily Tribune front page declaring Thomas Dewey the winner over Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election. MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images

The Enduring Appeal Of Third Party Presidential Bids

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Saturday

Week in politics: Congress clash over military promotions, Trump's legal troubles

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