Longtime WJLA TV Anchor Announces Retirement

ARLINGTON, VA — David Lucas, one of the region's most highly regarded broadcast journalists, announced on Friday he plans to retire as a news anchor for WJLA. His last broadcast will be on Nov. 22, according to the station.

Lucas joined WJLA when it first went on the air 34 years ago. From there, he became a nationally syndicated medical reporter for Medstar Television and hosted the Discovery Channel’s daily "Your Health" program.

Lucas started his 48-year career as a sports and health reporter in Charleston, South Carolina.

"Lucas is something of a D.C. area broadcast institution," WJLA said in a release. "Over his career, he’s done thousands of interviews and covered some of the biggest stories of our time."

During his time with WJLA, Lucas covered the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon and when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

"During his D.C. career, Dave has covered seven national political conventions, eight presidential inaugurations and too many Congressional, state and local races to count," WJLA said.

In 2021, Dave was inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Capital Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He received numerous journalism honors including three regional Emmy awards and a national Edward R. Morrow award for his political reporting. Lucas also won back-to-back National Cable Ace awards for Healthline as the nation’s best local public affairs program.

An avid golfer, Lucas hosted “Capital Golf Weekly” — Washington’s only golf news and information show — for 17 years.

After retirement, Lucas and his wife, Lisa, plan to move to Richmond to be closer to family.