Introduction
Martha Raddatz is one of the most recognizable names in American broadcast journalism, and Martha Raddatz age is one of the most common questions people ask about her. She was born on February 14, 1953, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and is ABC News’ chief global affairs correspondent and co-anchor of the Sunday program This Week. As of October 2026, Martha Raddatz age stands at 73, and she turns 74 on February 14, 2027.
She is known for her war reporting, her Pentagon and national security sourcing, her moderation of major political debates, and her best-selling book on the Sadr City ambush in Iraq. This article covers her family, education, career, relationships, finances and public work. It also explains how Martha Raddatz age fits into each stage of her life.
Early Life and Family
- Birth and family. Raddatz was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Edward Dustin Raddatz and Doris Elaine (née Anderson). Since Martha Raddatz age is counted from 1953, she was born in the early postwar years and grew up in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Parents’ professions. Reliable sources I found don’t say what her parents did for a living, so this article doesn’t guess.
- Siblings. No siblings are named in the reliable sources I found. She has kept her family background fairly private, and that is her choice.
- Upbringing location. Her family later moved to Salt Lake City. Her childhood and teenage years were spent in the Intermountain West. A 2017 Salt Lake Tribune profile described her as a former Utahn, which shows how closely Utah still claims her.
- Cultural influences and challenges. Her mid-century Idaho and Utah roots are a clear part of her story, but no verified account describes specific hardships. By the time Martha Raddatz age reached 20, she had already left school and was working in broadcasting.
- Her own family. She later became a mother to two children, covered in Section 4.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Martha Raddatz |
| Date of birth | February 14, 1953 |
| Current age (Oct 2026) | 73 |
| Birthplace | Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S. |
| Parents | Edward Dustin Raddatz and Doris Elaine (née Anderson) |
| Parents’ professions | Not publicly documented |
| Siblings | Not publicly documented |
| Grew up | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Nationality | American |
Education
- College. She attended the University of Utah but dropped out to work at a local station. Her education was practical rather than academic. She learned reporting by doing it.
- Degree and graduation age. She did not graduate, so there is no graduation age to report. Some low-quality websites claim she holds a journalism degree from a particular university. Her standard biography says otherwise, so treat those claims with caution.
- Academic achievements. No formal academic honors are documented. Her record comes from the newsroom, not the lecture hall, and the later awards that mark Martha Raddatz age milestones came from her reporting.
- Extracurriculars. No campus activities are documented in the sources I found.
- The real classroom. Local television gave her the fundamentals. Her time at an ABC affiliate in Boston and her years at NPR built the skills she later brought to national security coverage.
- Lesson for readers. Her path shows that Martha Raddatz age at the start of her career mattered less than her willingness to start working early and keep learning.
Career
- Local television. Before 1993, Raddatz was chief correspondent at WCVB-TV, the ABC News affiliate in Boston. This was the foundation for everything that followed.
- NPR and the Pentagon. From 1993 to 1998, she covered the Pentagon for National Public Radio. The military beat became her specialty, and Martha Raddatz age was in the early 40s when she took it on.
- Joining ABC News. She joined ABC News in 1999 as State Department correspondent and became senior national security correspondent in May 2003, reporting extensively from Iraq. She was roughly 45 or 46 when she joined the network.
- The al-Zarqawi scoop. On June 8, 2006, she received a tip that terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been located and killed, which let ABC News become the first news organization to break the story. At age 53, she delivered one of the biggest scoops of her career.
- White House and foreign affairs. The Wikipedia infobox lists her as ABC’s chief White House correspondent from 2006 to 2008. She was appointed senior foreign affairs correspondent in November 2008.
- Debate moderator. She moderated the October 11, 2012 vice-presidential debate between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden, and co-moderated the second 2016 presidential debate with Anderson Cooper. Martha Raddatz age was 59 for the first and 63 for the second.
- This Week. ABC announced in February 2014 that she would be a substitute anchor on This Week, and in January 2016 that she would become co-anchor.
- Books and screen. Her first book, The Long Road Home (2007), was a New York Times best seller about the siege of Sadr City and became a National Geographic miniseries in late 2017. She also appeared as herself in a 2017 episode of Homeland.
- Recent developments. In 2026 she published a second book, The Hero Next Door, and the National Press Club announced a 2026 Fourth Estate Award gala honoring her. Martha Raddatz age is now 73, and she is still active on air and in print.
Career Timeline
| Year | Milestone | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1993 | Local TV reporter | Chief correspondent at WCVB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Boston |
| 1993–1998 | NPR Pentagon correspondent | Covered the U.S. military and Defense Department |
| 1999 | Joins ABC News | Began as State Department correspondent |
| May 2003 | Senior national security correspondent | Extensive reporting from Iraq |
| June 2006 | Zarqawi scoop | ABC News first to report his death |
| 2006–2008 | Chief White House correspondent | Covered the last term of the George W. Bush administration |
| 2007 | The Long Road Home | Best-selling book on the Sadr City ambush |
| November 2008 | Senior foreign affairs correspondent | Moved back to global and foreign coverage |
| 2012 | VP debate moderator | Biden–Ryan debate at Centre College |
| 2014 | This Week substitute anchor | Began hosting Sunday show duties |
| January 2016 | This Week co-anchor | Named permanent co-anchor |
| October 2016 | Presidential debate co-moderator | Clinton–Trump debate with Anderson Cooper |
| 2017 | Miniseries and cameo | NatGeo adaptation of her book; appearance on Homeland |
| 2026 | The Hero Next Door | Second book; Fourth Estate Award gala |
Relationships and Controversies
- First marriage. Her first husband was Ben Bradlee Jr., a Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe editor and biographer, and they were married from 1979 to 1991. She was about 26 at the time of the wedding, so Martha Raddatz age was in the mid-20s when she first married.
- Second marriage. She married Julius Genachowski in 1991, and they divorced in 1997. Genachowski later chaired the FCC under President Obama.
- Current marriage. Her third husband is journalist Tom Gjelten, whom she married in 1997, and they live in Arlington, Virginia. This is the marriage that has lasted, and Martha Raddatz age was 44 when it began.
- Children. She has two children from her earlier marriages: a daughter, Greta Bradlee, and a son, Jake Genachowski.
- The “So?” interview. In a March 2008 interview, Raddatz asked Dick Cheney about polls showing Americans had lost confidence in the Iraq war, and he answered “So?” The exchange drew widespread criticism of Cheney. At 55, she became part of a widely discussed moment, though not as its target.
- Debate criticism. After the 2016 debate, she was criticized for challenging one of Trump’s statements, which some journalists felt fell outside a moderator’s mandate.
- The wedding question. Before the 2012 debate, there was criticism because President Obama had attended her 1991 wedding to Genachowski, when both men were Harvard Law students. ABC News defended her.
- Public perception. Overall, she is regarded as a tough, well-sourced reporter. The controversies above are part of the public record, but none has changed the central fact of Martha Raddatz age and experience: decades of respected national security reporting.
Net Worth
- No verified figure. Many websites publish exact net worth numbers for Raddatz, but I could not find a reliable source for any of them. ABC News does not disclose her contract, and most estimates online come from content farms.
- Income sources. Her income most plausibly comes from her ABC News work, book royalties and speaking fees. The amounts are not public.
- Assets. She lives in Arlington, Virginia. No verified property or investment details are public.
- Growth over the years. Her career moved from local TV to NPR to a national network, and she gained prominence through debate moderation and the This Week chair. That trajectory suggests growth in earnings, but without data it can’t be quantified.
- Age and earnings. With Martha Raddatz age at 73 and her career in its fifth decade, her long tenure is the most solid fact about her finances.
- Advice for readers. If you see a precise dollar figure, check whether it cites a source. If it doesn’t, it is a guess.
| Category | Amount/Details |
|---|---|
| Reported net worth | No verified figure |
| Main employer | ABC News (compensation undisclosed) |
| Books | The Long Road Home (2007), The Hero Next Door (2026); royalties undisclosed |
| Other media | 2017 Homeland cameo; frequent PBS Washington Week guest |
| Residence | Arlington, Virginia |
| Years at ABC | 1999–present |
Other Ventures
- Writing. In addition to her ABC work, she has written for The New Republic.
- Books. Her two books make her an author as well as a broadcaster. The Long Road Home was adapted for television, and The Hero Next Door was published in 2026.
- Book promotion. In May 2026, she discussed The Hero Next Door with Steve Inskeep in an interview carried by Connecticut Public. That appearance shows how Martha Raddatz age has not slowed her public work.
- Television and film. She is a frequent guest on PBS’s Washington Week and appeared as herself on Homeland.
- Speaking engagements. She is a sought-after interviewee and public speaker, but I did not find a verified list of paid engagements, so none is listed here.
- Brand collaborations. No endorsements or brand partnerships are documented. Her professional identity is tied firmly to journalism.
Charitable Work
- What is documented. I could not verify any named charity, foundation or fundraising campaign tied to Raddatz, and I won’t invent one.
- Veterans and military families. Her best-known book tells the story of soldiers and their families after a deadly ambush in Iraq. That work draws public attention to military service, but it is journalism and not a documented charitable program.
- Honors received. Awards such as the National Press Club’s Fourth Estate Award recognize her work, but they are honors she received, not philanthropy she gave.
- Where to check. Charitable giving by public figures often shows up in nonprofit filings or event programs, so those are the places to verify claims.
- Impact. Her biggest public contribution remains her reporting. Even at 73, Martha Raddatz age has not reduced her output.
FAQ
How old is Martha Raddatz in 2026?
Martha Raddatz was born on February 14, 1953, so she is 73 years old as of October 2026. She turns 74 on February 14, 2027.
Who is Martha Raddatz married to?
She is married to journalist Tom Gjelten. They wed in 1997. Her earlier marriages were to Ben Bradlee Jr. (1979–1991) and Julius Genachowski (1991–1997).
What is Martha Raddatz’s net worth?
There is no verified figure. ABC does not publish her pay, and online estimates are unreliable guesses.
What does Martha Raddatz do for a living?
She is ABC News’ chief global affairs correspondent and a co-anchor of This Week. She also reports for World News Tonight and Nightline, and she writes books.
Does Martha Raddatz have any children?
Yes, she has two: a daughter, Greta Bradlee, and a son, Jake Genachowski.
Closing Summary
Martha Raddatz’s story shows that curiosity and persistence can carry a career for decades, from a Utah newsroom to the anchor desk. Whatever Martha Raddatz age reads on any given birthday, her record in war zones and debate halls speaks for itself.