Meet 2020 Debate Moderator Kristen Welker’s Husband, John Hughes

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced their lineup for the 2020 presidential debates on Sept. 2 and co-anchor of NBC’s Weekend Today, Kristen Welker, was named as one of the debate moderators.

While many people are familiar with Kristen Welker and her work as a White House correspondent and on-air journalist, her husband stays out of the public eye a tad more than Kristen does.

Who is Kristen Welker’s husband, John Hughes?

John Hughes is a marketing director at Merck in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has been in that position since February of 2015. However, it appears that Hughes has been with the company since 2006 and has worked his way up through the company. 

How did Kristen Welker and John Hughes meet? 

Kristen admitted that she was having a hard time meeting people due to the demanding hours of her White House correspondent gig and while all of her friends were getting married and having babies, she was having trouble meeting the perfect guy for her. “This happens for everyone else, but it may not happen for me,” she recalled in a 2017 interview.

However, that soon changed after Kristen Welker and John Hughes were set up on a date by mutual friends in October of 2014. “When she got out of the car, I immediately felt like I was out of my league,” John confessed. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘If I can just make her laugh, maybe I’ll have a chance.’”

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Where did John Hughes propose to Kristen Welker?

Not only is the story of their first date cute as can be, their engagement story is one for the books, too. While it was difficult for John and Kristen to meet up while she was covering the 2016 campaign trail, she told Hughes that she’d be in Washington for 24-hours. He met her there, took her to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial overlooking the Potomac River, and got down on one knee.

“I wanted to ask her outside in a place you could walk by years later and tell your kids that this was the spot we got engaged,” he said.

Apparently, Kristen started screaming, then immediately replied, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

When did John Hughes and Kristen Welker get married?

Kristen Welker and John Hughes got married on March 4, 2017 at the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia, which happens to be just one block from where they had their first date.

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Kristen wore a gorgeous strapless Vera Wang wedding gown and John opted for a traditional yet stylish Michael Kors tux; however, he revealed that he wore his “lucky boxers” under his wedding attire. 

Kristen Welker and John Hughes celebrate their first date every year.

All together now: awww! In an Instagram post, Kristen revealed that she and John celebrate the day they met by recreating their first date each year.

“Five years ago this week I met my best friend, my prince and my partner forever,” she wrote. “I love that we celebrate our first date every year - it’s just one thing that makes all of it so wonderful and exciting.”

What is Kristen Welker's Instagram?

While Kristen Welker is on Instagram (and has almost 60K followers!), her account is set to private, so you'll have to request to follow her if you already don't.

Is Kristen Welker a Democrat?

Welker's party affiliation is currently not listed, however, in 2012, she was registered as a Democrat. Her parents, Julie and Harvey Welker, have donated to Democratic campaigns for years now.

What is Kristen Welker's age?

Kristen Welker was born on July 1, 1976, which means she's 44 years old. 

Kristen Welker is Trump's latest Twitter target.

Honestly, who can keep up at this point? On Oct. 17, Trump does what he does best and attacked yet another woman on Twitter, writing, "She's always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News reporters, but I'll still play the game. The people know! How's Steve Scully doing?"

The final presidential debate will take place at Belmont, University in Nashville, Tennessee and will air on all major networks from 9-10:30 p.m. ET. You can also stream the debate on YouTube.

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Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.