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The Politico Succession Games Begin…

An era at Politico has been ending for the last decade—at least since the departures of Mike and Jim, then Jake and Anna, and, of course, the sale to Axel Springer. But with John Harris ascending to the chairmanship, again, it’s finally Axel’s baby. And Mathias Döpfner may be looking outside the mothership for Harris’s successor.

Mathias Doepfner
Harris’s passing of the torch has thus raised a few obvious questions: First, what does Mathias Döpfner want Politico to be, and who does he want to run it? Photo: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Dylan Byers
January 16, 2026

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On Thursday, John Harris, Politico’s ruminative co-founder and paterfamilias, informed staff that he was taking on a chairmanship role and would relinquish the editor-in-chief title upon determining an heir. “At some point in 2026, I’ll be passing on the editor in chief role to the best possible successor,” Harris wrote in a memo, noting that Springer C.E.O. Mathias Döpfner and Politico C.E.O. Goli Sheikholeslami had invited him to take part in the search. “When we find the best leader, we will act swiftly.”