MS NOW Strengthens Election Coverage with CBS News Veteran Kabir Khanna as Director of Elections and Analytics

MS NOW has appointed Kabir Khanna as its director of elections and analytics, further expanding its election coverage team ahead of the 2026 midterms. Khanna, who previously led CBS News’ elections data desk as director of election analytics and technical systems, will work across both MS NOW and sister network CNBC.

In his new role, Khanna will oversee MS NOW’s elections data coverage and voter polls while evaluating race projections from network partners.

Industry-Leading Commitment to Political Coverage

“Bringing Kabir on board at this pivotal moment, just ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and as we look toward the highly contested 2028 presidential race, underscores our commitment to leading the industry in political coverage,” said Brian Carovillano, MS NOW’s senior vice president of news standards and partnerships, in a Friday memo to staff.

Data-Driven Election Insights

“The MS NOW community deserves fact-based, data-driven stories that not only inform them about which side is winning but also contextualize the current political moment. How does the public approach key issues, and how are voters making decisions at the ballot box? In this era of democratic backsliding and such a fragmented information environment, we have an opportunity to lead the way in providing timely, accurate estimates of what people think and how they’re voting.”

Earlier this week, MS NOW hired former CBS Mornings executive producer Shawna Thomas as its political director. Carovillano noted that the two would collaborate “to ensure our show teams and reporting bureaus have access to the highest-quality election data and projections.”

Leadership Changes at CBS News

Khanna’s departure is part of a broader exodus at CBS News under opinion journalist Bari Weiss, who became editor-in-chief last year. Multiple executives, producers, and on-air journalists have left the network since her appointment.

MS NOW’s Independent Newsgathering Expansion

Khanna’s hiring follows several editorial additions as MS NOW builds its independent newsgathering capabilities. This shift comes after Versant’s split from Comcast, which removed MS NOW’s access to NBC News’ newsgathering resources.