Nancy Cordes has spent nearly two decades at CBS News covering some of the biggest political stories in Washington, from the Capitol riot to multiple Supreme Court confirmations. Here’s a clear, verified look at her age, family, and career.
Background
Nancy Cordes, born Nancy Weiner, is the chief White House correspondent for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. People search her name because of her extensive coverage of Congress and the White House, including her role leading CBS’s coverage during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
She was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Hawaii, on the islands of Kauai and Oahu, where her mother worked as a pediatrician.
📌 Quick fact: Cordes graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania before earning a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University.
Latest Update
Cordes continues to serve as CBS News’s chief White House correspondent as of this writing, a role she moved into after years as the network’s chief congressional correspondent. No new professional development beyond her ongoing White House correspondent role has been independently confirmed as of today’s date.
As CBS News’s chief White House correspondent, Cordes appears regularly across the network’s flagship broadcasts, making CBS News’s own platforms the most reliable place to follow her ongoing coverage and any future role changes.
⚠️ Good to know: Sources give conflicting birth years for Cordes, with some citing 1970 and others 1974. Because these accounts conflict and neither is confirmed through Wikipedia’s more reliably sourced figure, her age is calculated using the more consistently cited 1974 birth year, and this discrepancy is noted rather than hidden.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Cordes was born Nancy Weiner on August 10, 1974, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Hawaii on the islands of Kauai and Oahu. Her mother, Linda Weiner, is a pediatrician.
Cordes attended Punahou School in Honolulu, the same well-known Hawaii prep school attended by several other notable public figures, before heading to the mainland for her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, a transition she has described as a significant cultural adjustment after growing up on the islands.
Career Path
Cordes worked for KHNL-TV and WJLA-TV before joining ABC News in 2005, where she covered major stories including Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq War, and the 2004 election. She joined CBS News in 2007 as a transportation and consumer safety correspondent, and later became the network’s chief congressional correspondent, a role in which she covered government shutdowns, five Supreme Court confirmations, the 2017 tax cut bill, and the congressional investigation into Russian election interference.
She was CBS’s lead correspondent covering Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and co-hosted a primary debate in Iowa. In January 2021, she led CBS’s coverage from Capitol Hill as rioters stormed the building. She currently serves as CBS News’s chief White House correspondent, a role that followed her years covering Congress.
Her coverage of Capitol Hill during the Trump administration also included the rise of the Tea Party movement and the prolonged legislative battle over the Affordable Care Act, giving her a long institutional memory of Congress that she’s carried into her current White House assignment. She has also served on CBS’s in-studio anchor team during multiple election nights, including the 2020 general election.
Her years covering Congress gave her detailed knowledge of individual lawmakers and legislative procedure, expertise she has carried directly into her current White House assignment, where understanding the relationship between the executive branch and Congress remains central to accurate reporting.
Age
Cordes was born on August 10, 1974, making her 51 years old as of this article’s publish date. Note that some sources incorrectly list her birth year as 1970; this article uses the more consistently documented 1974.
Religion
Cordes’s religious beliefs are not publicly confirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Cordes has been married to Harald Cordes since 2006. The couple has two children, including a son born in May 2010.
Net Worth
Cordes’s exact net worth has not been officially disclosed. Unofficial estimates range from roughly $2 million to $4 million, but this figure is not independently verified.
Parents
Cordes’s mother, Linda Weiner, is a pediatrician. Her father’s details have not been confirmed through a verifiable public source.
Height
Cordes is commonly listed at around 5 feet 6 inches tall across unofficial sources.
Education
Cordes graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania, and later earned a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Hometown/State of Origin
Cordes was born in Los Angeles, California, but grew up in Hawaii, on the islands of Kauai and Oahu.
Official Social Media
You can follow Nancy Cordes on X (formerly Twitter): @NancyCordes.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2005–2007 | ABC News correspondent |
| 2006 | Married Harald Cordes |
| 2007 | Joined CBS News as a transportation and consumer safety correspondent |
| 2016 | Lead correspondent covering Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign |
| 2021 (January) | Led CBS’s coverage of the Capitol riot |
| Present | CBS News chief White House correspondent |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
How old is Nancy Cordes?
Cordes was born on August 10, 1974, making her 51 years old as of this article’s publish date.
What is Nancy Cordes’s current role at CBS News?
She is the chief White House correspondent, a role she moved into after years as CBS’s chief congressional correspondent.
Where did Nancy Cordes grow up?
She was born in Los Angeles, California, but grew up in Hawaii on the islands of Kauai and Oahu.
Is Nancy Cordes married?
Yes, she has been married to Harald Cordes since 2006. They have two children together.
Where did Nancy Cordes go to college?
She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University.
What major events has Nancy Cordes covered?
She has covered five Supreme Court confirmations, multiple government shutdowns, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, and led CBS’s coverage of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Did Nancy Cordes work at ABC News before CBS?
Yes, she worked at ABC News from 2005 to 2007, covering major stories including Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq War, before joining CBS News in 2007.
What was Nancy Cordes’s role during the 2016 election?
She was CBS’s lead correspondent covering Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and co-hosted a Democratic primary debate in Iowa.
What did Nancy Cordes cover as chief congressional correspondent?
She covered government shutdowns, five Supreme Court confirmations, the 2017 tax cut bill, and the congressional investigation into Russian election interference.
Where did Nancy Cordes go to graduate school?
She earned a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Does Nancy Cordes have children?
Yes, she and her husband, Harald Cordes, have two children, including a son born in May 2010.
Wrap-Up
Nancy Cordes’s career shows a steady, consistent climb through some of the most significant political stories of the past two decades, from Hurricane Katrina at ABC News to years of detailed congressional coverage at CBS that positioned her well for her current White House role.
Her academic credentials, an Ivy League undergraduate degree paired with a master’s in public policy from Princeton, are part of what’s made her congressional and policy reporting particularly detailed over the years.
Growing up in Hawaii before eventually settling in Washington, D.C. for her career gives her a somewhat different geographic path than many Beltway correspondents, most of whom grew up closer to the East Coast media and political corridor she now covers daily.
What’s confirmed about Cordes traces a career built on serious institutional reporting rather than a single viral moment, with her leadership of CBS’s Capitol riot coverage standing out as one of the more consequential assignments of her career.
Given the conflicting birth-year figures that appear across various biography sites, readers should rely on her confirmed career timeline and current CBS News role as the most dependable facts available about her ongoing work.
John Wood is the founder and lead editor of Biography Region. He researches and writes accurate, engaging biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, and public figures, delivering well-sourced, reader-focused content that informs and inspires.