If you watched morning news in New York City between 2000 and 2017, Lori Stokes was likely part of your routine. People search her name to find out about her long run on WABC-TV and her family’s political legacy. This article lays out what’s actually confirmed about her career and life, and is upfront about what isn’t.
Background
Lori Stokes is a retired American journalist and news anchor best known for co-anchoring WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News This Morning for 17 years. She later worked at Fox 5 NY, including as co-host of Good Day New York alongside Rosanna Scotto, before retiring from broadcasting in 2022.
Stokes also comes from a family with a strong public-service legacy: her father, Louis Stokes, was a longtime U.S. Congressman from Ohio, which is part of why her background draws continued interest.
Her nearly two decades leading WABC-TV’s morning newscast helped that show become the top-rated program in its time slot in New York City, a competitive achievement in one of the most crowded media markets in the country.
Because she’s now retired, much of the search interest in her name comes from longtime viewers looking back on her career rather than anyone following current appearances.
Latest Update
As of August 19, 2026, here is what’s currently known. Lori Stokes is retired from broadcasting, having stepped away from her role at Fox 5 NY on September 30, 2022. There is no confirmed report of a return to television or any other major news event involving her as of this date. Search interest in her name largely reflects nostalgia for her long run on New York morning television rather than any current breaking story.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Stokes was born September 16, 1962, in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the daughter of Louis Stokes, who represented Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly three decades, and her uncle was Carl Stokes, a former mayor of Cleveland, giving her family a well-documented history in American public service. Growing up around that level of civic engagement gave her an early, direct exposure to how public institutions and the news media intersect, which she has cited as part of what drew her toward journalism rather than politics itself.
Career Path
Stokes began her journalism career in 1986 as a medical reporter and weekend co-anchor at WCIA in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. She went on to work at WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina, and WBFF-TV in Baltimore, before joining NBC News, where she reported for NBC Nightly News Weekend and anchored Weekend Today and NBC Sunrise.
From April 2000 to August 2017, she co-anchored WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News This Morning, helping bring the broadcast to the top of its time slot. She then joined Fox 5 NY, co-hosting Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto from 2017 to 2021 and later anchoring the station’s evening newscasts before retiring from broadcasting on September 30, 2022. She was honored with a George Foster Peabody Award for her coverage of the September 11 attacks and received the 2003 Congressional Black Caucus Celebration of Leadership Award.
Her move from WABC-TV to a direct competitor at Fox 5 in 2017 was notable within the New York media industry, since anchors with that level of name recognition rarely switch stations after building an audience over nearly two decades at one outlet.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1986 | Began career as a medical reporter and weekend anchor at WCIA in Illinois |
| 1988-2000 | Worked at stations in Charlotte and Baltimore, then joined NBC News |
| 2000-2017 | Co-anchored WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News This Morning |
| 2017-2021 | Co-hosted Good Day New York on Fox 5 NY with Rosanna Scotto |
| September 30, 2022 | Retired from broadcasting |
Age
Stokes was born September 16, 1962, making her 63 years old as of this update.
Religion
Stokes’s religious affiliation has not been confirmed through a verifiable public source, and no on-air or interview statement clearly establishes it. This detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Public records indicate Stokes was previously married to Brian Thompson; reports describe her as currently single, though this detail is not independently confirmed through a primary source.
Net Worth
There is no officially disclosed net worth figure for Lori Stokes. Estimates found online are unverified. This detail is unconfirmed.
Parents
Stokes is the daughter of Louis Stokes, a longtime U.S. Congressman representing Ohio, and Jeanette Stokes.
Height
No officially confirmed height figure exists for Stokes. Figures on unofficial profile sites are not verifiable and are not repeated here.
Education
Stokes earned her degree from Ohio State University and also attended Howard University.
Hometown/State of Origin
Stokes was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
Official Social Media
Lori Stokes is retired from broadcasting, and no verified current official social media account has been confirmed for this profile.
Why this matters: Stokes’s nearly two-decade run anchoring New York’s top-rated morning news broadcast shaped how millions of viewers started their day, and her family’s public-service legacy adds a distinct historical dimension to her biography. Her coverage during the September 11 attacks is also frequently cited as an example of how local anchors become a steadying presence for their communities during a crisis, a role that goes well beyond typical daily reporting.
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Who is Lori Stokes?
Lori Stokes is a retired American news anchor best known for co-anchoring WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News This Morning from 2000 to 2017.
Is Lori Stokes still on television?
No, she retired from broadcasting on September 30, 2022, after her most recent role anchoring evening news at Fox 5 NY.
Who was Lori Stokes’s father?
Her father was Louis Stokes, who represented Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly three decades.
Did Lori Stokes work with Rosanna Scotto?
Yes, she co-hosted Good Day New York alongside Rosanna Scotto on Fox 5 NY from 2017 to 2021.
What awards has Lori Stokes won?
She received a George Foster Peabody Award for her coverage of the September 11 attacks and the 2003 Congressional Black Caucus Celebration of Leadership Award.
Where did Lori Stokes start her career?
She began in 1986 as a medical reporter and weekend co-anchor at WCIA in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
Is there confirmed news about Lori Stokes returning to TV?
No. As of August 19, 2026, there is no confirmed report of her returning to broadcasting.
Is Lori Stokes related to Carl Stokes?
Yes, Carl Stokes, a former mayor of Cleveland, was her uncle, adding to her family’s documented history in American public service.
Where did Lori Stokes go to college?
She earned her degree from Ohio State University and also attended Howard University during her education.
What network did Lori Stokes work for after WABC-TV?
She joined Fox 5 NY, where she co-hosted Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto and later anchored evening newscasts before retiring in 2022.
Wrap-Up
Lori Stokes built one of the more recognizable morning-news careers in New York City television, anchoring the top-rated Eyewitness News This Morning for 17 years before a further run at Fox 5 NY. That kind of sustained audience trust is difficult to build and even harder to maintain across two decades of early mornings.
Her family’s legacy in American politics, through her father’s long congressional career, adds another dimension to her biography that regularly comes up in searches about her. Details about her current personal life remain limited in reliable public sources, so this profile leaves them marked as unconfirmed rather than guessing.
Her Peabody Award for coverage of the September 11 attacks stands out as one of the clearest markers of her professional impact, recognizing work produced under some of the most difficult conditions a local news team can face.
Her move between two competing New York stations late in her career also illustrates how much reputation and audience trust an anchor can carry with them, since Fox 5 brought her on specifically to pair her established credibility with Rosanna Scotto’s own long-running show.
Since her retirement in 2022, the best way to revisit her work is through archived Eyewitness News and Good Day New York segments rather than looking for new appearances.
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.