Mike Zapler is POLITICO’s managing editor for politics and Washington. He previously served as editor of Playbook, oversaw coverage of the 2020 presidential election and helmed the politics and congressional reporting teams.

Zapler joined POLITICO in 2011 after more than a decade covering local, state and national politics for the San Jose Mercury News. Earlier in his career, he was city hall reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His first journalism job was with States News Service, the one-time training ground for Washington reporters.

Zapler graduated from Oberlin College with high honors in politics. He's a native of Pittsburgh and lives in Silver Spring, Md., with his wife and two daughters.