Senator Chuck Grassley celebrates marriage of 20th couple to meet in his office: ‘A true matchmaker!’

Senator Chuck Grassley has celebrated the wedding of the 20th couple to have met and fallen in love while working in his office.

The 90-year-old Iowa lawmaker has earned a reputation as “matchmaker” given the amount of couples who have found love while employed at his workplace. This time, it was Grassley’s chief of staff Jennifer Heins and her now-husband, Nick Davis, who were the ones tying the knot.

The wedding took place in Cedar Rapids over the weekend, with the Republican senator in attendance. Grassley posted about the happy event on his Instagram account, posing with the newly married couple along with his wife of 69 years, Barbara.

In the caption, Grassley wrote of the event: “Jen, my chief of staff and Nick Davis got married in Cedar Rapids this weekend. They are the 20th couple to marry after [meeting] in my office.”

In the senator’s comment section, many people dubbed him the ultimate “matchmaker” and praised him for his supposed knack for orchestrating meet-cutes in his workplace. One person referred to him as “Chuckster the ultimate DC matchmaker”, while another joked: “You’re in the wrong business Senator! Start a dating service called Grass Roots dating!”

Some people wanted to join in on Grassley’s matchmaking magic, with one user writing: “You foster good feelings in your office, Chuck.” Another person joked: “Shoot what kind of job openings you got?”

Meanwhile, others pointed out that his 20th match made in heaven was evidence that Grassley has been in office far longer than most politicians. “While that is very nice and congratulations to the lovely couple, for that to be the case one might respectfully think you have served too long…” one person claimed.

“Your chief of staff could be your great grandchild,” another added, while someone else commented: “Senator, it is time for you to retire.”

The majority of people extended their congratulations to Heins on her happy news. Many also suspected that the senator held a lot of wisdom on how to sustain a long and happy marriage, given that the lawmaker has celebrated his 69th wedding anniversary with his longtime love, Barbara.

According to the senator’s Instagram, the couple marked the occasion at That Place restaurant in Conrad, Iowa, with both indulging in an Iowa Chop - the state’s pork version of a porterhouse steak. Grassley said in the caption that they topped off the night by tuning into the “1st presidential debate”.

In 2018, Grassley recalled his wedding day to Barbara when he wrote in an anniversary tribute on Instagram that “the wedding was at 2pm, Barbara got there at [2:15]” but it was “worth the wait”.

Grassley is considered the longest-serving Republican in US Senate history, having recently overtaken Orrin Hatch’s record in January 2023. The lawmaker is also considered the sixth-longest-serving US senator in history, for a record number of 48 years.