The most under-appreciated reporters in the political world are the scribes covering state and local politics. They rarely get the attention of their colleagues at the national level but are often covering the very politicians and national trends that come to impact the broad political landscape.

Every two years (or so), I like to honor these reporters with a look at the best of the best from each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia.  The list below was built almost entirely on recommendations from the Fix community -- here on the blog, on Twitter at #fixreporters and on Facebook.  A few of my personal favorites are included as well.

Special shout-outs to longtime stalwarts of our best state political reporters list including Jim Galloway in Georgia, Jon Ralston in Nevada, Adam Smith in Florida and Lynn Bartels in Colorado -- to name a few. And special recognition to two younger reporters -- Jason Noble of the Des Moines Register and Daniel Malloy of the Atlanta Journal Constitution -- who were recommended by lots of people not only in their states but outside of them as well.

The best named reporter on this list, without question, Davey Joe Montgomery, formerly of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram and now a stringer for the New York Times. A close second: Hoppy Kercheval in West Virginia.

I did everything I could to keep this list to reporters for recognized news outlets rather than bloggers or folks with sketchy funding of their journalism to avoid fights.

If there's a great reporter NOT mentioned below -- and I am certain that's the case -- put his or her name (and Twitter handle) in the comments section or send me an email at chris.cillizza@washpost.com. This is an organic list -- it's designed to grow and change. Enjoy!

Alabama

Brian Lyman, Montgomery Advertiser

Mary Sell, Decatur Daily/Times Daily

 Tim Lockette, Anniston Star

Alaska

Matt Buxton, Fairbanks Daily News Miner

Alexandra Gutierrez, Alaska Public Radio

Nat Herz, Alaska Dispatch News

Arizona

Jeremy Duda, Arizona Capitol Times

Ben Giles, Arizona Capitol Times

Jim Nintzel, Tucson Weekly

Dan Nowicki, Arizona Republic

Brahm Resnik, NBC 12News

Rebekah Sanders, Arizona Republic

Arkansas

Roby Brock, Talk Business and Politics

Claudia Lauer, Democrat-Gazette

David Ramsey, Arkansas Times

Doug Thompson, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Mike Wickline, Democrat-Gazette

Spencer Willems, Democrat-Gazette

California

Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times

Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle

Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle

Seema Mehta, LA Times

Josh Richman, Bay Area News Group

David Siders, Sacramento Bee 

George Skelton, LA Times

Colorado

Charles Ashby, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Lynn Bartels, Denver Post

John Frank, Denver Post

Corey Hutchins, State Integrity

Peter Marcus, Durango Herald

Erica Meltzer, Daily Camera

Connecticut

Daniela Altimari, Hartford Courant

Ken Dixon, Heart Connecticut Media

Chris Keating, Hartford Courant

Mark Pazniokas, CT Mirror

Kevin Rennie, Daily Ructions

Christine Stuart, CTNewsJunkie

Neil Vigdor, Hearst Connecticut Media

Delaware

Jonathan Starkey, Wilmington News Journal

District of Columbia

Aaron Davis, Washington Post

Graham Vyse, Current newspapers

Florida

Marc Caputo, Miami Herald (and soon-to-be Politico)

Matt Dixon, Scripps

Adam Smith, Tampa Bay Times

Georgia

Greg Bluestein, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Hawaii

Chad Blair, Civil Beat

Gordon Y.K. Pang, Star-Advertiser

Idaho

Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports

Kevin Richert, Idaho Education News

Jessica Robinson, NPR Northwest

Betsy Russell, Spokesman-Review

Illinois

Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business

Rich Miller, Capitol Fax

Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune

Amanda Vinicky, Illinois Public Radio

Indiana

Ed Feigenbaum, Indiana Legislative Insight

Brian Howey, Howey Politics Indiana

Tom LoBianco, Indianapolis Star

Jim Shella, WISH-TV

Iowa

Todd Dorman, Cedar Rapids Gazette

Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa

Jennifer Jacobs, Des Moines Register

James Lynch, Cedar Rapids Gazette

Jason Noble, Des Moines Register

Kathie Obradovich, Des Moines Register

William Petroski, Des Moines Register

Dave Price, WHOHD

Ed Tibbetts, Quad City Times

Kansas

Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal

Brad Cooper, Kansas City Star

Peter Hancock, Lawrence Journal World

Bryan Lowry, Wichita Eagle

Jonathan Shorman, Topeka Capital-Journal

Kentucky

Joe Gerth, Courier-Journal

Tom Loftus, Courier-Journal

Sam Youngman, Lexington Herald Leader

Louisiana

Jeremy Alford, LApolitics.com

Elizabeth Crisp, The Advocate

Stephanie Grace, The Advocate

Maine

Chris Cousins, Bangor Daily News

Steve Mistler, Portland Press Herald

Mario Moretto, Bangor Daily News

Maryland

Erin Cox, The Baltimore Sun

John Fritze, The Baltimore Sun

Jenna Johnson, Washington Post

Len Lazarick, Maryland Reporter

John Wagner, Washington Post

Massachusetts

David Bernstein, Boston magazine

Jim Hand, Attleboro Sun Chronicle

Alison King, New England Cable News

Scot Lehigh, Boston Globe

Frank Phillips, Boston Globe

Sharman Sacchetti, FOX 25 News

Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican

Janet Wu, WCVB

Michigan

Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press

Zach Gorchow, Gongwer News Service

Kathy Gray, Detroit Free Press

Chad Livengood, Detroit News

Craig Mauger, MIRS News

Rick Pluta, Michigan Radio

Minnesota

Patrick Condon, Star Tribune

Mary Lahammer, Twin Cities Public Television

Mississippi

Geoff Pender, Clarion Ledger

Missouri

Jason Hancock, Kansas City Star

Jo Mannies, St. Louis Public Radio

Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio

Alex Stuckey, Post-Dispatch

Eli Yokley, PoliticMo

Virginia Young, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Montana

John S. Adams, Great Falls Tribune

Mike Dennison, Lee Newspapers

Chuck Johnson, Lee Newspapers

Nebraska

Joseph Morton, Omaha World-Herald

Robynn Tysver, Omaha World-Herald

Nevada

Sandra Chereb, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Anjeannette Damon, Reno Gazette-Journal

Ray Hagar, Reno Gazette-Journal

Laura Myers, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Jon Ralston, RGJ.com

Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review-Journal

New Hampshire

John DiStaso, NH Journal

Allie Morris, Concord Monitor

James Pindell, Boston Globe

Garry Rayno, Union-Leader

Josh Rogers, New Hampshire Public Radio

Trent Spiner, Union-Leader

Dan Tuohy, Union-Leader

New Jersey

Chris Baxter, Star Ledger

Mark Bonamo, PolitickerNJ

Josh Dawsey, Wall Street Journal

Matt Friedman, Star Ledger

Heather Haddon, Wall Street Journal

Melissa Hayes, Bergen Record

Matt Katz, WNYC Radio

Dave Levinsky, Burlington County Times

John Reitmeyer, Bergen Record

New Mexico

Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican

New York

Liz Benjamin, Capital Tonight

Jon Campbell, Gannett New York

Fred Dicker, New York Post

Susanne Craig, New York Times

Matthew Hamilton, Albany Times Union

Rick Karlin, Albany Times Union

Ken Lovett, NY Daily News

Laura Nahmias, Capital New York

Nick Reisman, Capital Tonight

Casey Seiler, Albany Times Union

Jimmy Vielkind, Capital New York

North Carolina

Jon Camp, ABC11

Tim Boyum, Time Warner Cable news North Carolina

Pat Gannon, The Insider

Jim Morrill, Charlotte Observer

North Dakota

Mike Nowatzki, Fargo Forum

Nick Smith, Bismarck Tribune

Ohio

Laura Bischoff, Dayton Daily NEws

Jackie Borchardt, Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Henry Gomez, Northeast Ohio Media Group

Mark Kovac, Youngstown Vindicator

Jeremy Pelzer, Northeast Ohio Media Group

Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch 

Chrissie Thompson, Cincinnati Enquirer

Oklahoma

Chris Casteel, Oklahoman

Oregon

Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week

Jeff Mapes, Oregonian

Peter Wong, Portland Tribune

Pennsylvania

Angela Couloumbis, Philadelphia Inquirer

Steve Esack, Morning Call

Tom Fitzgerald, Philadelphia Inquirer

Karen Langley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

John Micek, Patriot News

Laura Olson, Morning Call

James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazett

Jonathan Tamari, Philadelphia Inquirer

Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Rhode Island

Ian Donnis, Rhode Island Public Radio

Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal

Scott MacKay, Rhode Island Public Radio

Ted Nesi, WPRI

South Carolina

Jeremy Borden, Charleston Post & Courier

Cassie Cope, The State

Schuyler Kropf,  Charleston Post & Courier

Thad Moore, Charleston Post & Courier

Cynthia Roldan, Charleston Post & Courier

Andy Shain, The State

South Dakota

Jonathan Ellis, Argus Leader

Tennessee

Jackson Baker, Memphis Flyer

Chas Sisk, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio

Andrea Zelinski, Nashville Scene/Nashville Post

Texas

Aman Batheja, Texas Tribune

Paul Burka, Texas Monthly

Kiah Collier, Austin American-Statesman

Joe Cutbirth, Texas Observer

Tim Eaton, Austin American-Statesman

Peggy Fikac, San Antonio Express-News

Bob Garrett, Dallas Morning News

Gromer Jeffers, Dallas Morning News

Terri Langford, Texas Tribune

Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman

Abby Livingston, Texas Tribune

Davey Joe Montgomery, New York Times

Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune

Jay Root, Texas Tribune

Brian Rosenthal, Houston Chronicle

Theodore Schleifer, Houston Chronicle

Gardner Selby, Austin American-Statesman

Patrick Svitek, Houston Chronicle

Anna Tinsley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Jonathan Tilove, Austin American-Statesman

Mike Ward, Houston Chronicle

Utah

Thomas Burr, Salt Lake Tribune

Matt Canham, Salt Lake Tribune

Robert Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune

 Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News

Vermont

April Burbank, Burlington Free Press

Mike Donoghue, Burlington Free Press

Paul Heintz, Seven Days

Virginia

Jeff Shapiro, Richmond Times-Dispatch

Laura Vozzella, Washington Post

Rachel Weiner, Washington Post

Washington

Jim Brunner, Seattle Times

Jim Camden, Spokesman Review

Joel Connelly, Seattle PI

Austin Jenkins, nwNewsNetwork

West Virginia

Whitney Burdette, Daily Mail

Eric Eyre, Gazette

Phil Kabler, Gazette

Ashton Marra, West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Hoppy Kercheval, MetroNews

Wisconsin

Jessica Arp, WISC-TV

Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Matthew DeFour, Wisconsin State Journal

Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jackie Johnson, Wisconsin Radio Network

Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Public Radio

Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jessie Opoien, Capital Times

Mary Spicuzza, Wisconsin State Journal

Jason Stein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wyoming

Trevor Brown, Wyoming Tribune Eagle