Candy Crowley is an experienced, award-winning news anchor and political commentator. She has had an illustrious career at CNN spanning nearly three decades. She was the lead political commentator and host of the station’s weekly news talk show, State of the Union.
During her long stint as the political correspondent for CNN, Crowley visited all the states of the United States while covering presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections in the United States for over 20 years. Candy Crowley describes herself as a hard-news journalist known for involving newscasters in tough but courteous discussions.
Candy Crowley Early Days and Rise to Fame
She was born on December 26, 1948, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as Candance Alt Crowley. Her father was a salesman, while her mother was a housewife at the time. When she was only 6 months old, her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she was raised.
Candy Crowley had her early childhood through a high school education at the Principia School in St. Louis County. She graduated high school in 1966 and received her college education at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. According to records, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1970.
Crowley had planned to marry her college boyfriend (who was the love of her life) and become a housewife. However, these dreams were shattered when she broke up soon after graduation and moved to Washington. Her first job was as a freelance writer for the National Education Association magazine.
It is known that her path into journalism began at the Metromedia radio station WASH-FM, where she worked as an assistant editor. She also worked as a news anchor for the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network and later as a White House correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network.
ALSO READ: Hannah Margaret Selleck: What We Know About Tom Selleck’s Daughter
Crowley took a 6-year break to raise her children and when she returned, she was rehired by the Associated Press. During this second period, Crowley was noticed by NBC executives, and she was eventually hired. In 1987, Crowley left NBC and went to CNN, which marked the beginning of a career that turned out to be very successful.
She was described as a woman who lives and breathes politics. She started at CNN as a freelancer and 2 years later she was hired full-time. In 1995, Crowley was appointed national politics correspondent and acted as host of Inside Politics before the show was replaced by The Situation Room. In February 2010, the lady was named host of the CNN talk show State of the Union on Sunday Morning, a position she held until her retirement in 2014.
Throughout her career, Candy Crowley has received numerous awards, including the 1997 Joan Horenstein Barone Award for her coverage of Bob Dole’s presidential campaign and the 1999 DuPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Award for her coverage of former President Bill Clinton impeachment.
One of the hallmarks of her career was moderating the second presidential election debate between former President Obama and his Republican opponent Mitt Romney. She was the first woman to take on such a role since 1992. However, Crowley received some harsh criticism for her intervention in the debate in defense of Obama – an act that is considered one of the biggest mistakes of a moderator in the history of presidential debates.
What Happened To Candy Crowley?
After a 27-year CNN career, Candy Cowley decided to leave the station in 2014. The decision was announced on December 5, 2014, by the president of CNN Worldwide, Jeff Zucker. Crowley’s last State of the Union broadcast on December 21, 2014.
However, there was speculation that Crowley was forced to leave CNN. These speculations were never confirmed or refuted. It is therefore assumed that there was no bad blood between Crowley and her former employers and that she left the station amicably.
Where Is She Now?
Because of her brilliant career, it was expected that Candy Crowley would continue her career after she left CNN, and indeed there were several offers for her. However, the veteran political correspondent decided to take a break before making any further career decisions.
ALSO READ: Kellie Pickler Bio, Husband, Net Worth, and Celebrity Facts You Must Know
Apparently, Candy Crowley decided to retire from CNN after her retirement. She came to Harvard University’s Department of Politics on a scholarship in the fall of 2015 and continued to earn her living as a paid speaker.
Candy Crowley’s Husband
Candy Crowley is currently single. However, she was married in the past, but the marriage ended in divorce. She married a television producer at the age of 22. The marriage lasted 6 years and they had 2 children together. Their older son Jonathan is a neurosurgeon, while the younger one named Webster is a musician. Candy Crowley also has 2 stepchildren, a son, and a daughter.
