'Washington Post' Selects New 'Pundit'

By: E&P Staff The Washington Post has settled on its "next great pundit," a Teach for America executive who will join other Washington Post columnists like Charles Krauthammer and Eugene Robinson.

Kevin Huffman bested more than 4,800 contestants in the Post's contest after five rounds of "punditry challenges" that included writing a traditional Op-Ed column as well as blogging and answering questions from readers. Readers helped choose the winner through votes and comments.

Huffman was a lawyer and first grade teacher before joining Teach for America. He is based in Washington, D.C. and his column will be published for three months beginning in December.

"We are thrilled with the outcome of the Pundit contest," Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post's editorial page editor, said in a statement. "This competition was a way to try something new while engaging our readers and maybe even others who don't normally interact with the opinion content from the Washington Post. Our readers have been very passionate through each stage of the competition, and it's exciting that this contest could possibly introduce the next byline in demand."