CNN

Jim Acosta

CNN national political correspondent Jim Acosta is based in the network’s Washington, D.C., bureau. Since joining CNN in March 2007, Acosta has covered the tragedy at Virginia Tech, the 2008 presidential election, the 2010 midterm elections and has played a key role throughout America’s Choice 2012 election coverage, traveling to the early battleground states covering GOP presidential candidates.

In 2009, the Obama administration lifted some restrictions on American travel to Cuba; Acosta reported from Havana, Cuba, on the effects of the policy change and on the post- Cold War relationship of the United States and Cuba. During the 2008 presidential election, Acosta covered the campaigns of then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. John McCain and then-Sen. Barack Obama, frequently contributing as co-anchor on CNN’s weekend political program, Ballot Bowl.

Before joining CNN, Acosta was a CBS News correspondent since February 2003. Originally based in New York, he later relocated to the CBS bureau in Atlanta. He contributed primarily to the CBS Evening News and has covered stories including the Iraq war from Baghdad, the 2004 presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry, Hurricane Katrina and the blackout of 2003.

Previously, he was a correspondent for CBS Newspath, the network’s 24-hour news service, from 2001-2003 and was based in Dallas and Chicago during that time. Acosta covered the Pennsylvania miner rescue, the Washington, D.C.-area sniper story and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, among other stories.

Prior to Newspath, he was a reporter and substitute anchor for WBBM-TV, the CBS-owned station in Chicago from 2000 to 2001; a reporter for KTVT-TV, the CBS-owned station in Dallas, from 1998 to 2000 and a reporter and substitute anchor for WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., from 1995 to 1998. He began his journalism career with WMAL-AM radio in Washington, before making the transition to television.

Acosta graduated cum laude from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in political science.

Follow Jim on Twitter @jimacostacnn.