Will Lester, longtime AP journalist in South Carolina, Florida and Washington, dies at age 71
Will Lester, a longtime reporter and editor for The Associated Press who played a critical role in the wire service’s 2000 election-night decision not to call the presidential race, has died
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Will Lester, a longtime reporter and editor for The Associated Press who played a critical role in the news organization’s 2000 election-night decision not to call the presidential race, died Wednesday. He was 71.
According to his family, Lester died unexpectedly at his home in Maryland.
Fellow AP employees held Lester’s good nature in equal measure of esteem with his dedication to covering the news. Executive Editor Julie Pace, who previously served as Washington bureau chief, said Lester “represented the best of AP,” calling him “a dedicated editor who cared deeply about his craft,” as well as “an incredibly kind person who treated everyone with respect and decency."
A native of Atlanta and a graduate of Emory University, Lester began his decades-long journalism career at The Lancaster News in Lancaster, South Carolina. After a stint at The Columbia Record, he moved to The Associated Press in 1982, serving as a reporter and news editor in the Columbia, South Carolina, office.
