Mackenzie Wilkes is a reporter covering the way policy decisions in Washington and beyond affect people. 

She is currently an education reporter at POLITICO, where she covers national education policy. Mackenzie is particularly focused on how spending decisions affect the nation’s K-12 schools, colleges and the early childhood education space. 

She previously interned at FiveThirtyEight, covering politics and polling, and was a Carnegie-Knight News21 investigative reporting fellow, where she reported on how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing health and nutrition issues in Native American communities.

Mackenzie is a North Carolina native, which she mentions at any opportunity.