Matthew Choi is a political journalist specializing in energy policy and federal legislation, currently co-anchoring The Washington Post's Early Brief newsletter. With deep expertise in Texas politics and climate negotiations, his reporting bridges state-level policy decisions with national consequences.
Matthew Choi began his journalism career at Northwestern University, where he served as managing editor of The Daily Northwestern. His early work focused on local education and health care, laying the groundwork for his data-driven reporting style. During this period, he developed a knack for translating complex policy debates into accessible narratives—a skill that would define his later coverage of federal legislation.
Joining Politico in 2019, Choi authored the flagship Morning Energy newsletter and became a leading voice on the Biden administration's climate agenda. His reporting on the Inflation Reduction Act's energy provisions [2] provided unprecedented insight into congressional negotiations, earning recognition from clean energy advocates and fossil fuel stakeholders alike. Notable scoops included:
From 2022-2025, Choi built the Tribune's Washington bureau into an essential source for Texas-focused federal policy analysis. His March 2024 investigation into Operation Lone Star funding [1] revealed how border security allocations impacted rural infrastructure projects, sparking bipartisan calls for accountability. This period saw Choi master the intersection of state and federal politics, particularly in energy and immigration policy.
"The $4 billion question isn't whether Texas will secure its border—it's whether taxpayers will ever see an itemized receipt for this historic expenditure." [1]
Since April 2025, Choi has co-anchored the Post's flagship political newsletter, bringing his trademark policy depth to national audiences. His initial columns have focused on the evolving Republican stance on climate action and Democratic strategies in energy-producing states.
This legislative analysis dissected Rep. Vicente Gonzalez's controversial vote, situating it within broader Democratic strategies for border district retention. Choi tracked the bill's evolution from statehouse talking points to federal legislation, interviewing 12 Texas school district athletic directors to assess potential impacts. The piece became essential reading for understanding moderate Democrats' 2025 electoral calculus.
Choi's newsletter exclusive revealed how permitting reform negotiations threatened to undermine renewable energy tax credits. Through leaked legislative drafts and interviews with 9 Senate staffers, he demonstrated how arcane procedural rules could delay offshore wind projects by 18-24 months—reporting that directly influenced environmental groups' lobbying strategies.
This legal analysis unpacked Texas' novel constitutional challenge to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Choi explained how AG Ken Paxton's quorum arguments could invalidate pandemic-era legislation nationwide, citing precedents from the 1918 Spanish Flu congressional sessions. The piece remains cited in ongoing litigation over proxy voting procedures.
Choi prioritizes how legislation actually functions over political posturing. When pitching energy stories, emphasize enforcement challenges (e.g., IRA domestic content requirements) or unanticipated consequences (e.g., critical mineral shortages delaying EV factories). His January 2025 Tribune piece on trans athlete bill implementation [1] exemplifies this approach, tracking how vague statutory language created compliance headaches for rural school districts.
With deep roots in Texas politics, Choi frequently examines how state policies influence federal agendas. Successful pitches might explore how Permian Basin methane regulations affect international climate commitments, or how Texas' grid reliability debates inform national infrastructure plans. His 2024 coverage of ERCOT's winterization costs [1] demonstrated this lens, linking local rate increases to FERC's regulatory overhaul.
Choi's Politico newsletters consistently featured original charts mapping legislative timelines and regulatory impacts. Pitch stories with clear data hooks—particularly those involving geographic disparities (e.g., clean energy investments by congressional district) or temporal trends (e.g., decade-long migration patterns affecting border policy). His 2023 analysis of DOE loan guarantee distributions [2] set the standard for accessible data journalism in this space.
Recognized for groundbreaking coverage of Trump administration efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Choi's work demonstrated how legal theories developed in Texas voting rights cases influenced national strategy. The judges noted his "unparalleled ability to map complex legal networks to grassroots political impacts."
This alumni honor highlighted Choi's innovative approach to state-federal policy reporting, particularly his use of collaborative journalism tools to share resources between Texas and Washington newsrooms. The selection committee praised his "blueprint for sustainable regional-national reporting partnerships."
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