Mark Preston

Mark Preston (born July 21, 1971) is Vice President of Political & Special Events Programming at CNN, and a CNN Senior Political Analyst. His role is to oversee CNN’s election night coverage across its broadcasting and online platforms, organize CNN’s presidential debates and forums, and serve as CNN's main contact with political campaigns at both the state and national level, and to lead the conception and execution of CNN's political events. Preston also provides political analysis for CNN, CNN International and CNN.com, regularly appearing on CNN's major news analysis shows such as New Day, Erin Burnett OutFront, Anderson Cooper 360°, Cuomo Prime Time and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, and was promoted to Senior Political Analyst in January 2017. He was formerly CNN's Political Director, a post subsequently taken by David Chalian in 2014. Early life Preston was born in July 1971 and is the son of Eugene Preston and Mary Preston. Education Preston was educated at Arlington High School, a public secondary school in the town of Arlington, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1990, followed by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, known as UMass Amherst, where he studied Journalism and History. While there, he worked on the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, and freelanced for the Associated Press. After a month, he was hired to work for the office of Senator Edward Kennedy. Preston graduated from UMass Amherst in 1994, with two B. A. degrees, in Journalism and History.