Mary Katharine Ham is a journalist with a broad career in the news world, having worked with major outlets like CNN and Fox News. She currently appears as a contributor for Fox News.
Though she’s known for her media presence—a path first inspired by her father, who was a newspaper journalist—her personal life has included some incredibly difficult chapters. She lost her first husband in a bicycle accident, gave birth to their second daughter two months later, and has since begun a new chapter with her second husband.
Here’s a closer look at Mary Katharine Ham’s life, from where it all started to where she is today.
Who Are Her Parents? Her Early Life and College
Katharine Ham was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and raised in Durham, North Carolina. Her father, Jon Ham, worked as a newspaper journalist for many years.
She occasionally shares some adorable moments with her parents online. On Mother’s Day in May 2020, she posted a photo with her mom on Instagram and wrote, “Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, a powerhouse in a petite package. So glad we got that great time with so much family right before everything locked down. Love you! Thanks for everything!”
Ham graduated from Riverside High School in 1998 and went on to study newspaper journalism at the University of Georgia, following the same career path as her father.
Jon was an editor of The Durham Herald Sun, her hometown paper, for several years. Mary Katharine has also mentioned that journalism ran through earlier generations of her family as well—her grandfather briefly worked at a small paper in South Georgia founded by her great-grandfather.
Later in his career, her dad joined the John Locke Foundation, where he became vice president for communications and publisher of the Carolina Journal.
What Does Mary Katharine Ham Do?
She currently serves as an editor for Townhall, a conservative news site that also operates a print magazine, radio news service, and the political blog Hot Air.
In June 2024, she joined Fox News as a contributor and also contributes to OutKick, the network’s sports and commentary platform.
Before her return to Fox, Ham had a brief stint at CNN. She became a contributor there in October 2022 but later revealed she had been quietly suspended from the network for seven months, without ever being informed at the time.
What Happened to Mary Katharine Ham’s Husband?
Her first marriage ended in heartbreaking circumstances. She married Jake Brewer in 2011, a prominent immigration activist and White House aide under President Obama.
At the time of his death, Brewer was working as a senior policy adviser in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. He was also known as a co-founder of the advocacy group Define American and had previously been with Change.org.
On September 19, 2015, while participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer event—a charity cycling ride from Washington, D.C. to Mount Airy, Maryland—Brewer lost control of his bicycle on a sharp curve, crossed into oncoming traffic. He died later that day. He was 34.
At the time of the accident, Ham was in her third trimester of pregnancy with their second child. The couple also shared a daughter, Georgia.
Following his death, Ham shared an emotional message with her Instagram followers: “We lost our Jake yesterday, and I lost part of my heart and the father of my sweet babies. I don’t have to tell most of you how wonderful he was. It was self‑evident. His life was his testimony, and it was powerful and tender and fierce, with an ever‑present twinkle in the eye.”
She Gave Birth to Her Second Daughter in November
Two months after Brewer’s death, Mary welcomed their second child. She gave birth to a daughter, Garnet J. Brewer, on November 28, 2015.
Ham shared the news publicly on November 30 with a heartfelt Instagram post featuring her newborn daughter, herself, and Jake’s sister. In the caption, she wrote, “World, meet Garnet J. Brewer! At 7 lbs., 13 oz. & 21 in., she made her appearance after 5.5 hours of blessedly safe & awesome natural labor Nov. 28 at 5:15 am, reminding her mom this childbirth thing is no joke, hard core, & beautiful.”
She went on to explain the meaning behind her daughter’s name: “Her middle initial is for her dad, Jake. Her first name comes from a memorable hike Jake & I did above Garnet Canyon in WY when I was 7 mos pregnant w our first. I feel confident he’d love the name and is proud of all us girls today.”
Her Second Spouse, Steve, and Finding Love Again
After losing her first hubby, Katharine Ham admitted she didn’t expect to date again anytime soon. But a few years later, she found herself unexpectedly drawn to someone new—a man she jokingly described as a “mysterious guy with no social media presence but actually exists.” His name is Steve.
The two got married on March 7, 2020, just days before the world shut down due to COVID-19.
Since then, Ham has occasionally shared glimpses of their life together, often posting photos with Steve and the kids. On their fourth wedding anniversary, she shared a pair of images, including one from their wedding day, and wrote:
“Happy anniversary to us! One day late because we have a lot on our plates! We got married March 7, 2020. We flew home on a Wednesday and the kids were out of school by Friday. It was like marriage boot camp, but hey, if you gotta learn to struggle well (and you will!), might as well learn fast. We’ve added two kids and a dog since this pic. How lucky were we, then and now?”
She Has Four Children
Ham is a mom of four. She has two daughters from her first marriage to Brewer, and a daughter and a son with her second spouse, Steve.
She frequently shares family moments on social media—whether it’s hiking trips, beach days, or camping adventures with the kids and their dad.
Ham currently lives in Virginia with her husband, their four kids, and the family dog, Scout.
How Much Is Ham’s Net Worth?
Mary Katharine Ham has an estimated net worth of $1 million. She has earned this through years of work across major outlets like CNN, Fox News, Townhall, and Hot Air, contributing as a journalist, editor, and political commentator.
