It’s Tough Being Beautiful: Falling Down The Hill

Six alumni of The Hill’s “Most Beautiful” list lost election bids in 2012; nearly 40 percent of officeholders to make the list have been defeated, resigned in scandal, or retired from political office

The Hill presented its annual mid-summer 50 Most Beautiful feature on Wednesday and, as usual, it included a handful of members of Congress on the list.

Since 2004, a total of 64 U.S. Representatives and Senators have been profiled on various installments of the list – 33 Republicans and 31 Democrats – including the likes of Barack Obama (2005), John Boehner (2006), and Nancy Pelosi (2007).

Through its first 10 installments, officeholders from 31 states have appeared on the Most Beautiful list, including seven from California and New York, four from Florida and Illinois, and three each from Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Washington.

This year’s edition includes first-term Republican U.S. Senators Jeff Flake from Arizona and Tim Scott from South Carolina plus Democratic U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), and Beto O’Rourke (TX-16).

So where does a member of Congress go from here after making the ‘Most Beautiful’ list?

Unfortunately, for many, it’s all downhill…

Smart Politics examined the political fates of the 59 members of Congress who appeared on The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful list from 2004 through 2012 and found 37 percent of them eventually lost reelection, failed in a campaign for higher office, resigned in scandal, or retired from political office.

During the most recent election cycle, six former ‘Beautiful’ alumni serving in the U.S. House or Senate saw their careers in Congress come to an end:

· California Republican Mary Bono Mack (2004) lost by 5.9 points to Raul Ruiz in her bid for the state’s 36th Congressional District.

· Florida Republican Connie Mack (2007) – Bono Mack’s husband – lost by 13.0 points in an attempt to oust Democrat Bill Nelson from his U.S. Senate seat.

· Ohio Democrat Betty Sutton (2008) lost by 4.4 points to Jim Renacci in a redistricted incumbent-on-incumbent contest in the state’s 16th CD.

· Massachusetts Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown (2010) lost by 7.6 points to Elizabeth Warren in his reelection bid.

· Michigan Democrat Hansen Clarke (2011) lost a nomination battle to Gary Peters after redistricting in an incumbent-on-incumbent battle in the state’s 14th CD.

· New York Republican Nan Hayworth (2012) lost by 3.4 points to Sean Maloney in the state’s 19th CD.

But that’s not all.

Three-term Democratic North Carolina U.S. Representative Heath Shuler called it quits and opted not to run for reelection, and Republicans handily captured his open seat.

And while Jesse Jackson, Jr. won his reelection bid to Illinois’ 2nd CD last November, he resigned a few weeks later and was indicted in February 2013 for violating campaign finance laws.

Overall, of the 59 U.S. Senators and Representatives named to The Hill’s Most Beautiful list between 2004 and 2012:

· 10 lost reelection bids: Scott Brown, Chris Chocola, Hansen Clarke, Nan Hayworth, Mary Bono Mack, Betsy Markey, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Gordon Smith, Betty Sutton, and Gene Taylor.

· Five were defeated seeking higher political office: Gresham Barrett, John Edwards, Brad Ellsworth, Harold Ford, Jr., and Connie Mack. (This number excludes Paul Ryan’s vice-presidential bid as he also won reelection to his House seat).

· Two resigned in scandal: John Ensign and Jesse Jackson, Jr.

(Note: John Edwards and Vito Fossella both endured scandals as well – Edwards some years after his 2004 VP run and Fossella leading up to his decision not to run for reelection in 2008).

· Five retired from public life or did not seek reelection: Evan Bayh, Vito Fossella, Jack Quinn, Heath Shuler, and John Warner.

That means just 37 are still holding prominent political office:

· 28 have continued to be reelected to their seat: Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, John Boehner, Sherrod Brown, Richard Burr, Maria Cantwell, Judy Chu, Yvette Clark, Charles Dent, Anna Eschoo, Kirsten Gillibrand, Michael Grimm, Jim Himes, Duncan Hunter, Ron Kind, Adam Kinzinger, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Kristi Noem, Nancy Pelosi, Dave Reichert, Cedric Richmond, Paul Ryan, Aaron Schock, Bobby Scott, Jackie Speier, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, John Thune, and Maxine Waters.

· 6 have been elected or appointed to a higher office: Mary Fallin, Chuck Hagel, Martin Heinrich, John McHugh, Barack Obama, and Mark Udall.

· 3 have not yet come up for reelection since being named to the list: Republican U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte, Lisa Murkowski, and Marco Rubio.

Looking ahead to the 2014 cycle, at least one “Most Beautiful” honoree will depart Congress – Minnesota U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann has announced she is not running for reelection to her 6th CD seat.

Political Fate of U.S. Senators and Representatives Named to The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful List

Year	State	Name	Party	Chamber*	Fate
2004	CA	Mary Bono (Mack)	GOP	House	Lost 2012 election
2004	CO	Mark Udall	DEM	House	Won 2008 US Senate race
2004	IN	Chris Chocola	GOP	House	Lost 2006 election
2004	IN	Evan Bayh	DEM	Senate	Did not run in 2010
2004	MS	Gene Taylor	DEM	House	Lost 2010 election
2004	NC	John Edwards	DEM	Senate	Lost 2004 VP race, federal indictment
2004	NE	Chuck Hagel	GOP	Senate	Secretary of Defense
2004	NY	Jack Quinn	GOP	House	Did not run in 2004
2004	SD	Stephanie Herseth (Sandlin)	DEM	House	Lost 2010 election
2004	TN	Harold Ford, Jr.	DEM	House	Lost 2006 US Senate race
2004	WA	Maria Cantwell	DEM	Senate	Won 2006, 2012 elections
2004	WI	Ron Kind	DEM	House	Won 2004-2012 elections
2005	IL	Barack Obama	DEM	Senate	Won presidency in 2008, 2012
2005	OR	Gordon Smith	GOP	Senate	Lost 2008 election
2005	PA	Charles Dent	GOP	House	Won 2006-2012 elections
2005	SD	John Thune	GOP	Senate	Won 2010 election
2005	TN	Marsha Blackburn	GOP	House	Won 2006-2012 elections
2005	WA	Cathy McMorris (Rodgers)	GOP	House	Won 2006-2012 elections
2006	FL	Debbie Wasserman-Schultz	DEM	House	Won 2006-2012 elections
2006	NV	John Ensign	GOP	Senate	Resigned in 2011
2006	NY	John McHugh	GOP	House	Secretary of the Army
2006	OH	John Boehner	GOP	House	Won 2006-2012 elections
2007	CA	Nancy Pelosi	DEM	House	Won 2008-2012 elections
2007	FL	Connie Mack	GOP	House	Lost 2012 US Senate race
2007	IN	Brad Ellsworth	DEM	House	Lost 2010 US Senate race
2007	NC	Heath Shuler	DEM	House	Did not run in 2012
2007	NY	Yvette Clark	DEM	House	Won 2008-2012 elections
2007	OH	Sherrod Brown	DEM	Senate	Won 2012 election
2007	OK	Mary Fallin	GOP	House	Won 2010 gubernatorial race
2008	NY	Vito Fossella	GOP	House	Did not run in 2008
2008	OH	Betty Sutton	DEM	House	Lost 2012 election
2008	SC	Gresham Barrett	GOP	House	Lost 2010 gubernatorial nomination
2008	VA	John Warner	GOP	Senate	Did not run in 2008
2008	WI	Paul Ryan	GOP	House	Won 2008-2012 elections
2009	CA	Jackie Speier	DEM	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2009	CA	Maxine Waters	DEM	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2009	CO	Betsy Markey	DEM	House	Lost in 2010
2009	IL	Aaron Schock	GOP	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2009	NC	Richard Burr	GOP	Senate	Reelected in 2010
2009	NM	Martin Heinrich	DEM	House	Won 2012 US Senate race
2009	WA	Dave Reichert	GOP	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2010	CA	Anna Eshoo	DEM	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2010	CA	Duncan Hunter	GOP	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2010	CA	Judy Chu	DEM	House	Won 2010-2012 elections
2010	IL	Jesse Jackson, Jr.	DEM	House	Resigned in 2012
2010	MA	Scott Brown	GOP	Senate	Lost 2012 US Senate race
2010	NY	Kirsten Gillibrand	DEM	Senate	Elected in 2010, 2012
2011	AK	Lisa Murkowski	GOP	Senate	TBD
2011	FL	Marco Rubio	GOP	Senate	TBD
2011	IL	Adam Kinzinger	GOP	House	Won 2012 election
2011	LA	Cedric Richmond	DEM	House	Won 2012 election
2011	MI	Hansen Clarke	DEM	House	Lost 2012 nomination
2011	NY	Michael Grimm	GOP	House	Won 2012 election
2011	SD	Kristi Noem	GOP	House	Won 2012 election
2012	CT	Jim Himes	DEM	House	Won 2012 election
2012	MN	Michele Bachmann	GOP	House	Won 2012 election
2012	NH	Kelly Ayotte	GOP	Senate	TBD
2012	NY	Nan Hayworth	GOP	House	Lost 2012 election
2012	VA	Bobby Scott	DEM	House	Won 2012 election
2013	AZ	Jeff Flake	GOP	Senate	TBD
2013	FL	Frederica Wilson	DEM	House	TBD
2013	HI	Tulsi Gabbard	DEM	House	TBD
2013	SC	Tim Scott	GOP	Senate	TBD
2013	TX	Beto O’Rourke	DEM	House	TBD

* Chamber in which the honoree served at the time of being named to the The Hill’s list. Table compiled by Smart Politics.

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