Who is Norah O’Donnell? What to know about CBS anchor moderating Walz-JD Vance debate

Less than a month after former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in a fiery debate for the upcoming 2024 Presidential Elections, their running mates are now ready to battle it out in New York.

The two vice presidential nominees, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, are scheduled to participate in a debate on Tuesday on CBS News that is set to begin at 9 pm ET.

Vance and Walz will face off for the first, and perhaps the only time, at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. The 90-minute debate will have two four-minute commercial breaks and no live audience, similar to the presidential debate.

“See you on October 1, JD,” Walz posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 14.

Debate live updates Latest news and information from the VP debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance

Vance accepted the Oct. 1 debate the following day, while also proposing a debate for Sept. 18 on CNN. Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris’ campaign, told CBS News later that day that Walz will only participate in the Oct. 1 debate.

Sharing moderating duties will be CBS anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.

LEFT: Vice-presidential nominee Senator JD Vance addresses media members outside the Police Department in Shelby Township, Mich., on Aug. 7, 2024. RIGHT: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign rally with Vice President Kamala Harris at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 9, 2024.

VP Debate: Will Vance and Walz draw audiences like the record-breaking Biden-Palin debate?

Here’s what you need to know about moderator and CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell.

Who is Norah O’Donnell? Current job, show

Norah O’Donnell attends the 44th Annual News Emmy Awards at Palladium Times Square on September 27, 2023 in New York City.

Norah O’ Donnell is the anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” and the only woman currently leading an evening news program on broadcast television, her bio on the network says. She is also a contributing correspondent for “60 Minutes” and is the host of CBS News 24/7’s “Person to Person.”

The 2024 Presidential Election is O’ Donnell’s seventh as a journalist and the anchor in July announced that she will be leaving her role at the anchor desk after the elections and take on a new position at the network.

“I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle,” O’ Donnell said in the announcement. “It’s time to do something different.”

CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell in the broadcast booth during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The final day of the RNC featured a keynote address by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

O’ Donnell joined CBS News in 2011 as chief White House correspondent, covering the administration of President Barack Obama. In 2012, she joined “CBS This Morning” as co-host.

In a prolific career spanning more than three decades, O’ Donnell has “interviewed every living president of the United States,” her bio on CBS News says, as well as a plethora of prominent personalities including Pope Francis, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, Malala Yousafzai, the Dalai Lama. Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Oprah Winfrey and Dolly Parton among others.

Norah O’Donnell education

O’Donnell received her Bachelor of Arts in philosophy as well as a Master of Arts in liberal studies. from Georgetown University’s College of Arts and Sciences, as per her bio on CBS.

Prior to joining CBS News, O’Donnell worked at NBC News, where she covered the Pentagon, Congress, and the White House.

Has Norah O’Donnell ever moderated a debate before?

While O’ Donnell has anchored several CBS News Election Specials, including primary, debate and election nights, this is the first time she will be moderating a general election vice presidential debate.

More about Norah O’Donnell

Norah O’Donnell speaks onstage during the 2023 duPont-Columbia Award Winners announced at Awards Ceremony hosted by Norah O’Donnell and Amna Nawaz at Columbia University on February 06, 2023 in New York City.

O’ Donnell is married to Geoff Tracy, the president of Chef Geoff’s Deluxe Hospitality in Washington, DC. The two met during their time at Georgetown and have three children together.

She is also the recipient of several awards including the Emmys, an Edward R. Murrow Award, the duPont-Columbia Award, the Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in Broadcast National/International Coverage and the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award, her bio on CBS News says. O’ Donnell received an Emmy, and was also recognized by the prestigious White House Correspondents’ Association, for her reporting on sexual assaults at the US Air Force Academy in 2018.

Contributing: Gabe Hauari, Sudiksha Kochi, David Jackson, Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Norah O’Donnell? About the Vice Presidential debate moderator