ABC News announces 2024 campaign trail producers and reporters

The following excerpt announcement was sent out from ABC News president Kim Godwin:

Good morning ABC News –

With the 2024 election season underway, I’m excited to share our team of campaign producers/reporters who will embark on the campaign trail, contributing to all of our political coverage in the months ahead.

Our 2024 embed class includes Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Libby Cathey, Abby Cruz, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, Nicholas Kerr, Soorin Kim, Will McDuffie and Kendall Ross.

We have also designated five alternates in the event that we need more eyes and ears on the ground to cover potential candidates: Kiara Brantley-Jones, Julia Cherner, Isabella Murray, Olivia Osteen and Laura Romero.

Gabriella Abdul-Hakim is a New York-based producer with “ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis.” She has worked on several Prime specials, including “The Women Left Behind,” commemorating the one-year anniversary of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. She started her career at ABC News as a fellow.

Libby Cathey is a multimedia reporter for ABCNews.com based in the Washington bureau, covering the White House, Capitol Hill and breaking political news. She started her ABC News career as a desk assistant in Washington.

Abby Cruz is a D.C.-based producer/reporter for ABC News’ Race & Culture unit, producing and reporting for each ABC News platform. Abby covered Texas and Nevada as a 2022 midterm election campaign producer/reporter. Prior to ABC, she worked at the Washington City Paper and the Philadelphia Daily News.

Hannah Demissie is a digital journalist in the political unit, compiling research and reporting on important political developments. Previously, Hannah was a desk assistant in Washington and a political unit intern at CBS News.

Lalee Ibssa is a digital journalist with our Pennsylvania Avenue team in D.C., where she reports and produces from Capitol Hill for multiple platforms. Lalee was previously a desk assistant in Washington. In 2022, she served as a 2022 midterm election campaign producer/reporter covering Georgia. Prior to ABC, Lalee served as a content producer at NBC Bay Area.

Nicholas Kerr is a digital news associate for ABC News’ western bureaus. Before coming to ABC News, Nicholas interned with WABC’s 7 On Your Side investigative unit and served as editor-in-chief of Seton Hall University’s undergraduate newspaper, The Setonian.

Soorin Kim is an investigative data reporter focusing on money in politics and political investigations.  Prior to joining ABC News, Soorin was a local government reporter for the Columbia Missourian and a reporting intern at OpenSecrets.org.

Will McDuffie is a digital news associate with the New York desk, where he covers breaking news. Will began at ABC as a member of the politics desk and reported on Florida in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. Previously, Will was a corps member at Teach for America and taught third grade at elementary schools in Minneapolis and Brooklyn.

Kendall Ross is a production associate with “World News Tonight with David Muir.” They started as an intern with the Race & Culture unit in Washington, D.C., in 2022 before becoming a desk assistant with the unit later that year.

Kiara Brantley-Jones is a segment producer at ABC News Live. Previously, she worked on the Race & Culture unit, writing digital stories and assisting with the production of segments for the “Soul of a Nation” series. Prior to joining ABC News, she was a Washington, D.C.-based news associate with CNN.

Julia Cherner is a segment producer for “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” where she produces newsmaker interviews, writes and cuts tape packages and pitches stories. She previously served as an associate producer for “This Week” and a desk assistant for the Washington, D.C., bureau.

Isabella Murray works with the digital team as part of ABC News’ Washington, D.C., assignment desk. She’s reported out of Congress, covered the White House, chronicled the twists and turns of the DNC’s early primary calendar shakeup, and produced pieces for “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America.” She has also worked with the political unit in reporting on the 2022 midterm election. Prior to ABC News, Isabella worked for Iowa Starting Line, embedded in the pivotal Hawkeye State ahead of the 2020 presidential election, and later wrote for the Biloxi Sun Herald.

Olivia Osteen is an associate producer for “20/20,” based in New York. She has also worked on the “20/20” special on the University of Idaho murders. Olivia began her journalism career at ABC News following graduation.

Laura Romero is a production assistant with the investigative unit. Laura has also reported on breaking news stories, including a number of mass shootings in the U.S. and the building collapse in Surfside, Florida. She joined ABC News as an intern in 2019.