Rick Boucher, who has represented the 9th District in Congress since 1983, and Amy Hauslohner, editor of The Gazette in Galax, know how to keep a secret.

The Abingdon Democrat and the Grayson County journalist have been quietly dating for the past decade. About a month ago, they decided to get married.

On Saturday, they made their engagement official with an announcement at a campaign fundraiser.

"They haven't set a date for the wedding just yet," John Noble, Boucher's press secretary, confirmed Thursday. "They have been dating for about 10 years."

Hauslohner, reached at her Independence home while repairing her oven Thursday evening, confirmed the engagement but said, "I'm deferring all questions to my fiance."

Besides having been a reporter and editor, she plays guitar for a quartet known as the Appalachian Mountain Girls and other instruments as well. Her paper is owned by Landmark Communications, parent company of The Roanoke Times. She has been a columnist for Roanoke.com.

The couple share an interest in traditional music and met when she covered events in which he participated. She lives in Independence and has two college-age children from a previous marriage.

Boucher was involved in votes on the House floor Thursday night and was not immediately available for comment. He seemed to be married to his job until now.

Attorney Brian Patton, vice president of the Dickenson County Democratic Committee, broke the news on his blog Saturday night, after he attended the Abingdon fundraiser where the couple announced their engagement. Responses on the blog site varied.

"Everyone knew something was up, because he doesn't usually show up at these things with a lady friend," Patton said Thursday.

Patton said Boucher told the crowd he wanted to introduce a special friend and then made the announcement.

"I think everyone was shocked," Patton said.

Patton used his cellphone to take a picture of the couple and posted that on his blog. The photo wound up on the Web site of the weekly Washington County News, apparently the first member of the mainstream media to get the story.

"We had dinner, one thing led to another and we've been together since," the paper quoted Boucher as saying. "We get along extremely well, and we love each other."

paul.dellinger@roanoke.com (276) 228-4752 tim.thornton@roanoke.com (540) 381-1669