New York Times columnist Blake Hounshell dies aged 44

New York Times political columnist Blake Hounshell has died aged just 44, the paper has revealed.

New York Times columnist Blake Hounshell has died aged 44. Picture: Twitter

New York Times political columnist Blake Hounshell died, the paper has revealed.

He was 44.

New York Times editor-in-chief Joe Kahn and managing editor Carolyn Ryan informed staff via email that Hounshell, who joined the newspaper in 2021, “tragically passed away”, the New York Post reported.

New York Times columnist Blake Hounshell has died aged 44. Picture: Twitter

“Blake was a dedicated journalist who quickly distinguished himself as our lead politics newsletter writer. He became an indispensable and always insightful voice in the report during a busy election cycle,” the editors wrote.

“We’ve lost a valuable colleague and this is a heartbreaking loss to our team.”

The New York Times shared a statement from Hounshell’s family, which read: “It was with great sorrow that we have to inform you that Blake has suddenly died this morning after a long and courageous battle with depression. His wife, Sandy, and two children are in our thoughts and prayers, and ask for respect and privacy at this time.”

A rep for The Times did not comment further.

A prolific writer, Hounshell’s most recent column, “Death Penalty in California is a Puzzle for Newsom,” appeared on The New York Times’ website on Monday.

The New York Times Building in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

The columnist penned the paper’s “On Politics” newsletter, covering topics like the Republican Party’s struggle to win Gen Z voters, the fallout from the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange and the struggle to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

Hounshell joined The New York Times from Politico, where he served as managing editor for Washington and politics. He spent eight years there, overseeing coverage of Congress, the White House, the judiciary, national security and defence, among other things. Prior to Politico, Hounshell was the managing editor of Foreign Policy magazine.

Hounshell was a self-proclaimed “politics junkie,” The New York Times wrote in a statement when they hired him.

Hounshell, who graduated from Yale University in 2002, got his start in journalism after a stint in Cairo, Egypt, studying Arabic, The New York Times said. He was a finalist for a Livingston Award in 2011 for his reporting on the Arab uprisings that year.

This story was originally published by the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as New York Times columnist Blake Hounshell dies aged 44