Jonathan Capehart Husband Nick Schmit And Their D.C. Love Story
When people google “Jonathan Capehart husband”, they’re really looking for the story behind one of Washington’s most quietly beloved couples: journalist and TV host Jonathan Capehart and his husband, public–affairs strategist Nick Schmit. On paper they’re very D.C.—politics, media, State Department, diplomacy. In practice, they’re just two guys who almost missed their shot, got nudged into giving it another try, and ended up married with a life that feels solid and real.
Who Jonathan Capehart Is When He’s Not On Your Screen
Jonathan Capehart has one of those careers where you almost feel like you know him already. Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in New Jersey and New York, he built his name as a journalist and commentator long before most people saw him regularly on TV.
In the 1990s he worked on the editorial board of the New York Daily News and was part of a team whose reporting on financial mismanagement at Harlem’s Apollo Theater helped the paper win the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.
From there, his career only expanded. He became an opinion writer and editorial board member at The Washington Post, then grew into a regular face on cable news. On MSNBC he’s hosted various shows and now fronts the weekend program The Weekend, while also serving as a contributor to PBS NewsHour.
In 2025 he took a buyout and left the Post amid broader changes at the paper, but he remains very much in the public eye through TV and podcasts.
Capehart is also openly gay and one of the most visible Black queer journalists in mainstream political coverage. That mix—high-profile, articulate, present in people’s living rooms—naturally makes viewers curious about the person he comes home to.
Meet Nick Schmit: The Man Off-Camera
Nick Schmit is often introduced as “Jonathan Capehart’s husband,” but he has a substantial résumé of his own.
Schmit grew up in the Midwest and graduated from the University of North Dakota. After college he dove straight into public and political work, including a stint at the Clinton Foundation and later as director of finance for that organization.
From there, he moved into government service, eventually joining the U.S. State Department. Under Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry he served in the Office of Protocol, rising to assistant chief of protocol—a role that meant handling the complex, detail-heavy logistics of diplomatic visits and high-level events.
These days, Schmit works in global public affairs and strategy, using that background in diplomacy and politics to advise on international and policy issues.
Where Jonathan is on camera, Nick is the guy in the background making sure everything runs smoothly. It’s a classic “public-facing plus behind-the-scenes” pairing—and it suits them.
How Jonathan And Nick Actually Met
Their origin story is very, very Washington: mutual friends were involved.
Back in 2011, the two were introduced by Jed Hastings, the husband of then–Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. Jonathan and Nick met, clicked… and then nothing really happened, mainly because Jonathan was still in another relationship at the time.
About six months later, Jed decided he wasn’t done playing matchmaker. He sent Jonathan a photo of Nick and basically said, “You really should give this guy a chance.” That second nudge was enough. Jonathan reached back out, and this time the timing was better.
They started with conversations, then dates, and slowly built something that felt more serious than just another D.C. acquaintance. In later interviews, Jonathan has laughed about how close he came to letting it pass him by—proof that sometimes you do need a push from a persistent friend.
Falling In Love, Long Flights, And A Proposal In Italy
Once they were officially together, their lives looked like many two-career couples in politics and media: late nights, travel, deadlines, and a lot of juggling. Jonathan was writing columns, taping TV hits, and following election cycles; Nick was handling protocol and public-affairs work with a global schedule.
But they made it work. Over the next few years, they built the kind of relationship that can handle bad days, breaking news, and long stretches apart. By the time they took a trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast in 2016, they both knew where this was heading.
In Positano, on that trip, Jonathan proposed to Nick with a ring he’d chosen for the moment. It wasn’t a choreographed reality-TV spectacle—just a personal, emotional moment between two people who’d already lived a lot of life together.
There’s a noticeable age difference between them: Jonathan was born in 1967, and Nick is about 13 years younger. But it clearly isn’t an issue for them or their circle. If anything, it’s just another detail in a relationship that fits comfortably despite the intensity of their careers.
A Wedding With Eric Holder At The Altar
On January 7, 2017, Jonathan Capehart and Nick Schmit were married in Washington, D.C.
Their officiant was former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, a friend who reportedly got emotional enough during the ceremony that he had to stop and wipe away tears. That image—America’s former top law-enforcement officer choking up as two friends say “I do”—captures a lot about the community around them.
The wedding itself wasn’t turned into a big media event. It was well-attended by people from politics, journalism, and advocacy, but it stayed what they wanted it to be: a personal celebration, not a press opportunity.
From then on, short bios about Jonathan almost always include the line that he “married his longtime boyfriend, Nick Schmit, in 2017,” which quietly but clearly signals that this is an out, married gay man at the center of serious political conversation.
Everyday Life As A Washington Couple
So what does life look like now for Jonathan Capehart and his husband?
Day to day, they live what sounds like a very normal, very busy D.C. life. Jonathan’s schedule is driven by news cycles: writing, show prep, interviews, and live TV. Nick’s world revolves around strategy calls, clients, and keeping an eye on global political shifts.
They appear together at events like White House receptions, dinners, and charity galas, especially in LGBTQ+ and political circles. On social media and in occasional joint appearances, they come across as relaxed and affectionate—more like a couple who knows who they are than one performing a brand.
Friends and profiles often describe them as complementary: Jonathan the polished, public voice; Nick the calm, organized operator. It’s easy to see how that balance would work when you’re navigating both breaking news and Beltway politics.
