Manu Raju Biography
Manu Raju is a well-known American journalist who serves as the chief congressional correspondent for CNN, where he dives into the ins and outs of the United States Congress and campaign politics. He also hosts the Sunday edition of Inside Politics with Manu Raju. Before his time at CNN, Raju was a senior Capitol Hill correspondent for Politico and contributed to various other news outlets based in Washington, D.C.
Throughout his career, Raju has earned several awards for his insightful reporting on Congress and election coverage. He has also taken the reins as moderator for significant debates, including the 2014 U.S. Senate race and the Colorado gubernatorial election that same year.
Over the years, he’s had the opportunity to interview prominent political figures on national television, such as House Speakers Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi, Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid, and Senators Marco Rubio, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham.
Age
Manu Raju was born on February 9, 1980, in Downers Grove, Illinois, in the United States. As of 2026, he is 46 years old and proudly holds American nationality.
Education
Manu Raju studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, graduating in 2002 with a degree in business administration.
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Wife
Manu Raju is married to Archana Mehta. Additionally, they are proud parents of twins, a boy and a girl, born in 2015.
Manu Raju Career
Manu Raju began his journalism career at WMTV, working on the assignment desk before moving to Washington, D.C., in 2002. There, he joined Inside Washington Publishers, covering environmental policy, and later worked for Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, and Politico, where he reported for seven years before joining CNN in September 2015. During this period, he was a frequent guest on programs such as NBC’s Meet the Press and CBS’ Face the Nation. When CNN hired him, Erik Wemple of The Washington Post described the move as a “towering get” for the network.
Raju earned a reputation for uncovering what politicians discuss behind closed doors. He broke major stories during the 2013 government shutdown and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s high-profile 2014 reelection race, including an investigation into McConnell’s opponent Alison Lundergan Grimes allegedly receiving an illegal campaign bus, which led to legal consequences for her father. In 2016, Raju was CNN’s lead correspondent covering Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign and extensively reported on the GOP establishment’s tensions with Donald Trump, breaking significant news in several Senate races.
In 2017, Raju was featured on the cover of India Abroad newspaper, which dubbed him the “King of the Hill” for his inside-the-room reporting on Capitol Hill. The publication highlighted him as “one of the very few Indian American journalists in such a prominent position in the mainstream media.” That year, Raju and Jeremy Herb reported a CNN story claiming Donald Trump Jr. had access to hacked WikiLeaks documents before they were public. The report was later retracted, but CNN confirmed Raju had followed editorial standards and no disciplinary action was taken.
Raju continued breaking major political news, including a January 2017 story about stock trades by Tom Price, President Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee, which raised ethical and legal questions. Fact-checkers confirmed the story’s accuracy, with Wemple praising it as “a model of careful and measured journalism.” On January 6, 2021, Raju was inside the U.S. Capitol reporting live during the attack on the building.
In 2021, CNN promoted him to chief congressional correspondent. In August 2023, the network announced that Raju would begin anchoring the Sunday edition of Inside Politics while continuing his Capitol Hill coverage.
Manu Raju Wikipedia
In 2021, Raju was among the CNN journalists awarded the David Bloom Award for their coverage of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Additionally, his achievements include winning the White House Correspondents Association’s Merriman Smith award in 2012 for coverage of the debt ceiling crisis and receiving the Society of Professional Journalists first prize in 2015 for beat coverage of the 2014 midterm elections. His skillful reporting earned him a Folio: Eddie Award for a feature profile on Senator Elizabeth Warren and the Joan Shorenstein Barone Award in 2017 for outstanding congressional reporting.
Raju has built a reputation for uncovering private discussions among politicians and is known for his incisive and strategic questioning. This talent was showcased in 2014 when he moderated debates in key races, including a pivotal Senate seat in Colorado and a closely contested governor’s race.
Beginning his media career at the student newspaper The Badger Herald at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Raju’s roots in writing trace back to his late grandfather, Gopalakrishna Adiga, a renowned poet from South India who wrote in Kannada. A native of the Greater Chicago area, Raju is also recognized as a devoted Chicago sports fan.
Manu Raju Salary
Raju receives an annual salary ranging from $42,544 – to $150,769. However, details about the exact salary he earns are currently unavailable.
Manu Raju’s Net Worth
Manu Raju, a Chief Congressional Correspondent and anchor has an estimated net worth of $3 million.