Martin Tolchin

Martin Tolchin (September 20, 1928 – February 17, 2022) was an American journalist and author. He was a longtime political correspondent for The New York Times, and later co-founded The Hill and Politico.

Early life and education Tolchin was born in Brooklyn. He attended the University of Utah and New York Law School, and was in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His political activities, though they had taken place before he joined the Army, meant he was given a general discharge instead of an honorable one. a stint split between New York (where he was City Hall bureau chief and a political and investigative reporter) and Washington (where he was a Congressional correspondent). At Washington, Tolchin reported on the Iran–Contra affair, the Anita Hill hearings and Washington's response to the New York City financial crisis.

In 1994, Tolchin founded The Hill alongside businessman and Democratic political insider Jerry Finkelstein, where he served as publisher and editor-in-chief until his retirement in 2004. The Hill positioned itself as a rival to the established Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, with Tolchin's promise of it being "wittier and more audacious."

Tolchin wrote several books, frequently co-authoring them with his wife Susan. These include his 1972 book To The Victor: Political Patronage from the Clubhouse to the White House which would be cited in multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions including Elrod v. Burns and Branti v. Finkel.

Personal life Tolchin married journalist Susan Goldsmith, a political scientist, in 1965, and they remained married until her death in 2016. They had two children, Charles (d. 2003) and Karen.

Tolchin died from cancer at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 17, 2022, at the age of 93.