John Heilemann

John Heilemann (born January 23, 1966) is an American political journalist and television commentator specializing in U.S. national elections and governance. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University and a master's in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Heilemann gained prominence as co-author, with Mark Halperin, of the New York Times bestselling books Game Change (2010), chronicling the 2008 presidential election, and Double Down (2013), covering the 2012 campaign; the HBO film adaptation of Game Change won five Emmys, three Golden Globes, and a Peabody Award. His career includes early reporting for The Economist , Wired , and The New Yorker , followed by roles as national affairs editor and columnist at New York magazine, managing editor of Bloomberg Politics, and co-host of the Bloomberg Television program With All Due Respect during the 2016 election cycle. Currently, he serves as a national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, appearing regularly on programs such as Morning Joe and The 11th Hour , and as chief political columnist for Puck, where he hosts the Impolitic podcast.

Heilemann is also the creator, executive producer, and co-host of Showtime's Emmy-nominated docuseries The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth , which has covered multiple election cycles since 2016. His professional partnership with Halperin dissolved in 2017 after multiple women accused Halperin of sexual harassment and assault during his time at ABC News; Heilemann expressed shock and stated he had no prior awareness of the allegations. Heilemann's work has drawn criticism for alignment with MSNBC's editorial perspective, which some observers attribute to institutional left-leaning bias in mainstream media outlets.

John Heilemann was born John Arthur Heilemann on January 23, 1966, in Los Angeles , California . His parents were Richard Earl Heilemann, who died on March 25, 2017, and Mary Miles Heilemann. The family maintained ancestral ties to Wisconsin .

Heilemann grew up in Canoga Park, a working-class suburb in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles . His mother, who originated from a small town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, experienced early hardship after her father perished in a mining accident during her childhood; she advanced through personal resolve amid such challenges. Raised in a middle-class household of Midwestern descent, Heilemann was one of three siblings, with his mother serving as the central stabilizing figure for the family.

Heilemann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University . Following his undergraduate studies, he pursued graduate education at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where he received a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in 1990. These degrees provided foundational training in political analysis and public policy , aligning with his subsequent career in journalism focused on American politics and elections.

Heilemann began his journalism career as a staff writer for Wired magazine in the mid-1990s, focusing on the intersection of technology, business, and politics during the early internet boom. There, he produced monthly long-form features, often 8,000 to 10,000 words, including coverage of Silicon Valley dynamics and high-profile antitrust cases like Microsoft . His work at Wired provided an early immersion in startup media environments and the political ramifications of technological innovation .

Following his time at Wired , Heilemann joined The Economist for five years, starting with an assignment in London to cover global media and entertainment industries. He later relocated to Washington, D.C. , where he shifted toward political reporting, including analysis of U.S. elections and policy.