Matthew Dowd

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Matthew Dowd is an American political commentator and consultant who has worked in both campaigns and television. He was the chief strategist for George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election and later served as a political analyst for ABC News and MSNBC. Over the years he has switched parties several times: he started as a Democrat, became a Republican in 1999, was an Independent from 2008 to 2021, and rejoined the Democrats in 2021.

Early life and start in politics
Dowd was born on May 29, 1961, in Detroit, Michigan, into an Irish Catholic family and grew up as the third of 11 children. His father was an auto executive and his mother was a schoolteacher. He says his interest in politics began after watching the Watergate hearings in 1973. He studied in St. Louis, Missouri, and volunteered for campaigns including Rep. William Broomfield and Governor Joe Teasdale. He also worked for Rep. Dick Gephardt and other Democrats, and began his career on Lloyd Bentsen’s and Bob Bullock’s staffs.

Party changes and major roles
In 1999 Dowd switched to the Republican Party. He worked as a senior adviser at the Republican National Committee in 2002, handling polling. He was the chief strategist for Bush’s 2004 campaign and helped Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. By 2007 he expressed deep disappointment with President Bush over the Iraq War and other issues, which cooled his relationship with some White House aides.

In 2021 Dowd announced a run for Lieutenant Governor of Texas as a Democrat, but he later ended his bid to pursue a more diverse field.

Media career, writing, and teaching
Dowd joined ABC’s Good Morning America as a political contributor in 2007 and appeared on This Week. He was a founding partner of the strategy firm Vianovo, which he left in 2015. He has taught at the University of Texas at Austin and has been a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. He co-authored the New York Times bestseller Applebee’s America and published A New Way in 2017.

Views on Trump and public notes
Dowd has criticized Donald Trump’s use of Twitter as risky and impulsive. During Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, he faced criticism for a tweet about Elise Stefanik, for which he apologized and removed.

Recent and controversial remarks
On September 10, 2025, Dowd commented on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, saying hateful thoughts can lead to hateful actions and wondering if the shooter had supporters. MSNBC denounced his remarks, and Dowd was fired from the network that night.