Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee, June 27

The annual Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee returns at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 27, where Washington reporters face off against members of Congress in the Ballroom.

Press spellers will be Club President Emily Wilkins of CNBC; Club member Bernd Debusmann Jr., a BBC News correspondent; Club Governor Jessica Mendoza, audio reporter at The Wall Street Journal; Alex Clearfield, state litigation deputy team lead at Bloomberg Law; and. Azi Paybarah, national reporter at The Washington Post.

Representing the politicians will be Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va.; Eric Sorensen, D-Ill. (a former TV news meteorologist); Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa (a former TV news anchor); Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.; and Chris Pappas, D-N.H.

The first such event was held in 1913, with newly elected President Woodrow Wilson in the audience for the competition, which was won by the lawmakers. The bee resumed on the 100th anniversary of the original event in 2013 and has been held at the Club ever since.

Proceeds from the Spelling Bee support the Club's nonprofit affiliate, the NPC Journalism Institute, which serves more than 8,000 journalists annually through training, press freedom efforts, scholarships, and more. Contact the institute's development manager, Mitch Harle, for sponsorships at [email protected] or 713-492-1556.