| Brianne Pfannenstiel | |
| Birth Place: | Kansas, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | University of Kansas (BA) |
| Occupation: | Chief Politics Reporter at The Des Moines Register |
Brianne Pfannenstiel (born 1988) is an American journalist who is the chief politics reporter for The Des Moines Register. Pfannenstiel co-moderated the seventh Democratic debate with Wolf Blitzer and Abby Phillip on January 14, 2020.[1]
Pfannenstiel was born in Kansas in 1988 to parents Peggy Jo and Pat.[2] She attended the University of Kansas, graduating in 2010 with a degree in Journalism.[3] On October 11, 2016, her mother died of cancer at the age of 54.[4]
After graduating from the University of Kansas, Pfannenstiel worked as a reporter for The Kansas City Star and Lawrence Journal-World, where she covered the 2010 United States elections. She joined the Kansas City Business Journal in 2013.[5] In 2015, she relocated to Iowa to join The Des Moines Register. In the 2016 Iowa caucus cycle, Pfannenstiel initially covered the Scott Walker campaign, followed by the Donald Trump campaign.[6]
Pfannenstiel was selected Chief Politics Reporter for the 2020 United States presidential election.[7] Pfannenstiel has been featured on C-SPAN, and appeared twice as a guest on At This Hour with Kate Bolduan.[8]
After co-moderating the seventh Democratic debate, Pfannenstiel was listed by Vox as a "Winner" of the debate.[9] Google searches for Pfannenstiel also increased 4,200 percent during the debate.[10]