NEW YORK (January 17, 2013)--Karl Rove enlivened Fox News Channel's election coverage in 2012 by questioning the network's declaration that Barack Obama had been re-elected, but that didn’t affect Fox's desire to keep him on the air.

The network announced Thursday that it has signed Rove to a new contract as a contributor.

The deal runs through the 2016 election.

Rove was once President George W. Bush's political right-hand man and the force behind a powerful political action committee that sought to oust Mr. Obama.

He caused a stir with his election night doubts, which led anchor Megyn Kelly to interview Fox's own election experts on the air to defend their call.

Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes says Rove's detailed knowledge of politics, fundraising, and strategy, make him an important player in Fox's coverage.