Is Maureen Dowd New York Time Columnist ill? Bio and Net Worth

Maureen Dowd, Biography

Maureen Brigid Dowd (born January 14, 1952) is an American columnist and author for The New York Times. In the 1970s and early 1980s, she wrote news, sports, and features for The Washington Star and Time.

Dowd joined The New York Times in 1983 as a metropolitan reporter and became an op-ed columnist in 1995. In 2014, she became a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine.

In 1999, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her columns on the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. Her columns often explore politics, Hollywood, and gender, using a style likened to satirical political cartoons. Some critics have labeled her coverage of female public figures, like Monica Lewinsky and Hillary Clinton, as sexist. During the 2016 presidential election, she wrote the op-ed “Donald the Dove, Hillary the Hawk,” frequently cited by Trump critics.

Lastborn

Maureen Dowd was born the youngest of five in Washington, D.C. Her mother, Margaret “Peggy” Meenehan, was a housewife, and her father, Mike Dowd, was a police inspector. She graduated from Immaculata High School in 1969 and earned a B.A. in English from the Catholic University of America in 1973.

Dowd began her journalism career in 1974 at the Washington Star as a dictationist, later becoming a sports columnist, metropolitan reporter, and feature writer. After the Star closed in 1981, she worked for Time before joining The New York Times in 1983 as a metropolitan reporter.

By 1986, she was a correspondent in the Times’ Washington bureau. In 1987, she broke the story exposing Senator Joe Biden’s plagiarism, which derailed his first presidential campaign. Dowd’s reporting earned early recognition: the Columbia University Breakthrough Award in 1991, Pulitzer finalist status for national reporting in 1992, and a Matrix Award from the New York Association for Women in Communications in 1994. READ MORE: Where is Lorraine Kelly today; Bio, Age, Writing, Weight, Net Worth

Maureen Dowd New York Time Columnist

In 1995, Maureen Dowd became a columnist for The New York Times op-ed page, succeeding Anna Quindlen. By 1996, Glamour named her Woman of the Year. In 1999, she earned the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, and in 2000 she received the Damon Runyon Award for contributions to journalism. In 2005, she was the inaugural Mary Alice Davis Lectureship speaker at the University of Texas at Austin. Recognized for influence, The Daily Telegraph ranked her among America’s top liberals in 2007 and 2010.

Dowd writes as if speaking to her mother, whom she credits as the source of her humor, Irish sensibilities, and intellectual perspective. Her columns are marked by acerbic wit, often polemical, sharply critiquing political figures such as George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, and Barack Obama, whom she sometimes nicknames “W,” “Big Time,” “Spock,” or “Barry.”

Her focus on personalities over policy has drawn criticism, yet she weaves popular culture and metaphor into political commentary, linking complex events to familiar cultural touchstones. For instance, she compared North Korean leadership to characters in Mean Girls, illustrating power dynamics and human folly.

Dowd’s work often reads like political cartoons, exaggerating the landscape for insight. In 2000, she described Al Gore as “so feminized and diversified and ecologically correct that he’s practically lactating,” labeling Democrats the “mommy party.” Her columns blend satire, sharp observation, and cultural references to illuminate politics.

Maureen Dowd Husband

Maureen Dowd is currently single. In the past, she has been romantically linked to Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing, actor Michael Douglas, and fellow New York Times columnist John Tierney.

Height and Weight

Maureen Dowd’s approximate physical stats are: height 168 cm (1.68 m / 5’6″) and weight 62 kg.

Net Worth

As of 2025, Maureen Dowd’s estimated net worth is around $9 million, reflecting her long and influential career in journalism.