Most major political news coverage in the U.S. tends to be from a Washington D.C. perch, looking outward. By that measure, Observer Media’s online news network Politicker takes an inverted view by looking out at the national political scene from a state-specific perspective. Taking the adage that “all politics is local” to heart, Politicker currently has seven individual sites offering political news from different states, including New York, Maine, New Jersey, Maryland, Nevada, Colorado and Oregon. The New York site is currently a channel within the company’s New York Observer website. 

By Feb. 1, Politicker plans to add another four state sites, including Washington, Kentucky and New Hampshire. All of its existing sites are being readied for a full launch in the spring. Founded in 2000, the site originally was strictly a New Jersey-focused affair. That remains the model as the rollout of the rest of the network this year. It’s unclear how quickly Politicker will be able to build its network, but it plans to have a presence in all 50 states with 75-100 reporters.

Politicker’s network will be managed by James Pindell, who is leaving The Boston Globe’s Primary Sources political blog. Release (via E&P)