50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill – 40 More

Aarti Nayak, scheduler for Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.), doesn’t like skiing one bit, but that’s where she met her husband, Dave — on the slopes.

They have been married since September. She hopes to have kids.

Was it meant to be? Nayak reads astrological signs, although she’s not a fervent believer.

During college at Virginia Tech, she and a friend wrote blurbs on astrological signs for the Eccentric, a student newspaper — they were called the “psychic sisters.”

At any rate, she doesn’t look one bit “psychic.” The first-generation American from an Indian family twirls her dark, curly hair, which her friends have compared to singer-model Toni Braxton’s locks.

But makeup is not very important to her.

“I don’t care anymore,” she explains.

When it comes to beauty, Nayak is gently scornful of contests and pageants. She said one of their past interns participated in pageants and waved the Miss America wave.

“Who are these girls anyway?” she asks skeptically.

– By Emily Belz

Adria Crutchfield
Age: 26
Hometown: Indianapolis
Political party: Democrat
Dating status: Single

Adria Crutchfield does not like to reveal her dating status.

When asked if she was single, she obviously contemplated lying. It’s not that she has a problem with being unattached — she said she’s OK with her dating status. But when she imagined the word  “single” appearing in print beside her photo, it reminded her uncomfortably of a personals ad.

She’s not spending her time looking for a boyfriend. Crutchfield, frankly, has better things to do.

The fresh-faced woman with dark skin and corkscrew curls wants people to know she’s “not frivolous.” Crutchfield works as the Deputy Director of Member Services for the Democratic Caucus. In her free time, she helps run a nonprofit with three friends. Her reading choices are all nonfiction, from Ralph Nader’s Seventeen Traditions to Dave Eggers’s What is the What. When she shops she looks for “classic,” “basic” and “on sale.”

Despite her best efforts to ensure that she is taken seriously, Adria can’t hide that she’s fun. Relaxed and quick to laugh, Adria loves to dance. On weekends, she hits the clubs and blows off steam on the dance floor. Although she claims to be just “alright” at it — “I’m not Beyoncé,” she says — the chances that this Midwesterner would spend time doing something she doesn’t excel at are low.

If you spot her on the dance floor, and she says she has a boyfriend, don’t believe her.

– By Daphne Retter

Guy Lipa
Age: 24
Hometown: Los Angeles
Dating status: Single
Political Affiliation: Democrat

Only one thing seems to ruffle Los Angeles native Guy Lipa: dating.

Lipa, a legislative assistant to Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), said he asks out few women, because the whole “dating process stresses me out.”

It can’t be for lack of attention. At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Lipa is handsome and dresses nicely. He has black hair and hazel eyes, with long eyelashes, and when we talked, was wearing a well cut gray suit.

In the opposite sex, Lipa likes someone laid back, attractive and active. The 24-year-old’s ideal date would be to a Dodgers game. The menu? Dodger dogs (a specialty of his hometown stadium) and beer.

A graduate of George Washington University, Lipa shied away from discussing his high school years, which he called an “embarrassing time.” He won’t divulge his high school superlative or the name of his band — he played the drums.

He’s a Pisces, but doesn’t follow astrology. Somehow Lipa manages to play ice hockey three times a week, as well as the occasional golf and softball game.

– By Kelly McCormack

Do not be fooled by Angeline Muckle-Jabbar’s beautiful face and impressive resume. She can also pack a punch if provoked: When she’s not working as a senior policy adviser to Del. Donna Christensen (D-V.I.) she works out by taking a kickboxing class or going on runs.

Her mind is as sharp as her jabs. Jabbar first came to D.C. in 1984 to attend Howard University and later received her J.D. from Georgetown.

She travels frequently between D.C. and the Virgin Islands for both business and pleasure.

 “The [Virgin Islands] remind me of the District,” she said. “They have similar social and political issues.”

She said she enjoys D.C. because of the “diverse group of people” it attracts.

In the District, she enjoys restaurant hopping with friends at popular locales such as Oya, Tapatini’s and Fogo De Chao, and spending time with her 10-year-old son, Omar.

As gracious as she is beautiful, Jabbar wants to thank friend and colleague Allison Cowan for the nomination.

“I honestly never thought I would be picked,” she said with a melodic laugh.

 – By Jackie Kucinich

Charlie Hurt
Age: 35
Political party: Unknown
Hometown: Chadham, Va.
Dating status: Married to wife, Stephanie; they have three children

Charlie Hurt, the New York Post’s new Capitol Hill bureau chief, has had a turbulent year professionally. Formerly Capitol Hill bureau chief for The Washington Times for five years, Hurt took a job as The Washington Examiner’s chief congressional correspondent for three months, only to switch jobs once again about a month ago.

Some say his wild brown locks that hit his shoulders are tamer these days — but Hill reporters who have seen him say that is not so.

Hurt’s attire, along with his quirky, jovial personality, is always amusing. On a cold winter’s day in February, he wore a distressed leather vest, a red-and-white gingham button-down shirt and a brown wool blazer with brown leather shoes fit for cleaning out a barn. In his spare time, Hurt, who lives on Capitol Hill with his wife and three small children, likes to work out at Results Gym, where he occasionally runs into lawmakers.

– By Betsy Rothstein

Bandele McQueen
Age: 36
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Political party: Democrat
Dating status: Married to wife, Robin

Don’t let his stern look fool you. Bandele McQueen has a great sense of humor.
    
McQueen, the chief of staff for California’s 37th District—the seat held by late Rep. Juanita Millender McDonald (D) — couldn’t get through an interview without being sarcastic.

Has he modeled?
“Only in my own mirror,” he says, laughing.

Does he have any pet peeves?
“I used to be a race car driver, so: slow drivers.”

Really?
“No, in my metaphysical life.”

At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, how does he stay in shape?
He does “12-ounce curls”— beers, we presume.

What’s his astrological sign?
“I’m a Pisces. It means I’m a fish.”

What’s his best feature?
“I have a really great elbow [or] my girly eyelashes.”

Not surprisingly, McQueen likes a woman with a sense of humor and independence. He met his wife, Robin, at a University of Virginia football game. He likes politics, golf and food. His family hails from Nigeria.

In all seriousness, McQueen says he’s easygoing and easy to talk to.

“I’m confident enough,” says McQueen.

– By Kelly McCormack

Betsy Barrett 
Age: 29
Hometown: Jonesboro, Ark.
Party: Democrat
Status: Single

Sooooooooooooieeeee!!!!!

Betsy Barrett has been in Washington only for a short time, but thanks to her Arkansas connections, she has found a group of friends with whom she can call hogs.

Despite the prevalence of pork on the Hill, Barrett and her friends save their hog calls for when their University of Arkansas Razorbacks are playing football.

The Hill’s sense of decency prevented us from asking for a demonstration in the Longworth cafeteria, but Barrett, who works as a legislative assistant to Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.), said she has been known to break out the call “after a few drinks.”

Barrett just moved to Washington in March after working on Snyder’s 2006 reelection campaign.

After a stint in Chicago at a brokerage and consulting firm, Barrett said she decided to find work she was more passionate about.

In addition to her current duties, Barrett said she will start taking on some press duties when Snyder’s press secretary goes on maternity leave in August.

The Arkansas native is also an enormous Chicago Cubs fan, and she and her brother caught three out of the four games they played against the Nationals this year.

-By Sam Youngman

When Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) was in her 20s, she was an extra in a movie starring Molly Ringwald.

Fallin, 52, doesn’t remember the film’s title, but was also an extra in several other independent, “walk-by-type” movies and did some modeling, too.
The stylish blonde, with bangs and blue eyes, is still a knockout.

“I’m 5-foot-6, but I’m not going to tell you my weight,” Fallin said, giggling. Self-consciousness aside, Fallin is in great shape. She lifts weights, jogs on her treadmill and goes to the gym when she can.

In high school, Fallin played softball and volleyball. She was also the president of the pep club, secretary of her senior class and was voted “most friendly.”

A long-time public servant for Oklahoma, Fallin isn’t sure of her best feature, but said she tries to be put-together — even though she enjoys wearing her “grubbies” from time to time.

“I’ve been complimented on the way I dress,” Fallin said. “I try to look nice [and] have my hair done.”

Fallin has two children: Christine, 20, who has done a little local modeling, and Price, 16.

“They are the joy of my life,” she said. Fallin has been single for nine years and likes men of faith who have a positive outlook on life.

“I look at a person’s heart. Their character,” Fallin said. “[I like] honesty, kindness, compassion, generosity and, of course, it’s nice when they’re attractive too.”

-By Kelly McCormack

Sitting in the crowded, bustling Rayburn House Office Building cafeteria, Derrick Ramos, a legislative assistant to Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), is stunned to realize that he has worked on the Hill for nearly five years.

“Scary!” he says, laughing.

Ramos, a Texas native, says he’s enjoyed his time on the Hill and has worked for two other members before Green — former Rep. Charlie Stenholm (D-Texas) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah). Still, when you ask if he thinks he’s a workaholic, his answer is immediate.

“Definitely,” he says. “I go home and think about [work]. I wake up and I check my BlackBerry.”

Weekends are a time to recharge, more than anything. “During the day I’m just so sadly exhausted from the workweek,” he says. “I’m just dead.”

Ramos isn’t a serial dater and typically goes for women he knows he can connect with in the form of a relationship. “I don’t date for fun,” he says. “I don’t need that stress.”

His ideal date: “I don’t like dinner-and-movie dates. I like doing random things, lounging around the house, going to a museum.” He also prefers cooking at home rather than dining out.

Ramos notes that he’s not a cheapskate. “I just think it’s more fun making something together,” he said. “I like home-cooked meals.”

Long-term, Ramos wants to return to his roots in Texas.

“People are rude here,” he said. “[Texas] has everything. Nice people. Good food. Everything’s bigger and better.”

– By Betsy Rothstein

Jaci Reid is part political operator, part doyenne. This self-described Texas Democrat is well connected in political Washington and high society New York.

When Reid and her husband, Morris Reid, are not in town running their PR firm, Westin Rinehart, they are summering in the Hamptons or wintering in the French West Indies.

But even when they leave Washington, Washington seems to follow them. On Sunday, the couple is hosting an event, sponsored by the Creative Coalition, at their Hamptons home to discuss the impact of culture on the 2008 elections. Next weekend, the couple is hosting a “hometown barbeque” for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Bill is coming, too.

She said she also offered to raise money for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), but the campaign demurred.

During the Christmas holidays, the couple escapes to St. Barts, which has become a hip destination for the rich and powerful. The Clintons, Rupert Murdoch, Paul Allen, and Jon Bon Jovi all vacation there.

When she needs a break, she listens to French and Brazilian artists on her iPod or catches reruns of “Will and Grace” and the new hit television show on Lifetime, “Army Wives.”

-By Jonathan Kaplan

Manhattan may be New York City’s tourist Mecca, but the hipper borough of Brooklyn has the more vivacious spirit — and a head-turning, pixie-cut-sporting freshman congresswoman to represent it.

The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D) has spent her life in her bustling district, attributing Brooklyn’s beauty to its diversity.

“I can take a walk in Prospect Park and enjoy the greenery in all its beauty and then leave there and take in the beautiful architecture of the various neighborhoods,” Clarke said. “The visual beauty of Brooklyn is only matched by the diversity of culture and culinary treats. Where else can you get a knish, a gyro, pizza, barbeque ribs and a beef patty in a one-mile radius?”

When Clarke isn’t on the Hill, she winds down by spending quality time with her extended family back home.

“My nieces, nephews and god-children keep me on my toes, but I enjoy every moment of it,” Clarke said. “Being the cool aunt is hard work, but I think I’m handling it quite well.”

We think she is, too.

– By Elana Schor

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Age: 54
Hometown: Mansfield, Ohio
Political party: Democrat
Dating status: Married to wife, Connie Schultz

Ohio’s Democratic senator may not be as sharply dressed as his home-state colleague, House GOP leader John Boehner, or as smoothly polished as another Midwestern freshman, Barack Obama of Illinois. But Sherrod Brown’s combination of rumpled cool and passionate progressivism makes him the unsung beauty of the upper chamber.

For proof of Brown’s stealthy sex appeal, look no further than the new campaign memoir of his wife, Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz. Her tome, …And His Lovely Wife, chronicles Brown’s rise from seven-term House member to senator—and his dedication to making his marriage to Schultz even stronger in the process.

Brown leaves his wife love notes, takes her to the theater, serenades her with the Beatles, and manages to seem winning even while driving her crazy. After all, how could a woman not fall for an workers’-rights advocate who wears a pin with a canary in a cage instead of the ubiquitous American flag, all while lovingly calling his wife “baby”?

– By Elana Schor

Reed-thin Iris Ho wasn’t taking any chances leading up to her photo shoot. “[The camera] is going to put on five pounds, so I did try to limit my intake,” she jokes.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Ho came to the United States to study international affairs at George Washington University. After graduating, she returned home and worked for a Taiwanese legislator. Political debate there can be rough, as anyone who has seen clips of Taiwanese officials taking swings at one another understands.

“People are very passionate in Taiwan about politics,” Ho says. “You have to be kind of a martial arts person.”

She finds most people on Capitol Hill to be “very friendly.” Ho’s job as a spokeswoman for the Formosan Association for Public Affairs often takes her to the Hill.

FAPA lobbies on behalf of Taiwan, where Ho’s parents and grandparents still live. She recently celebrated the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s adoption of a resolution that calls for the lifting of all travel restrictions on high-ranking Taiwanese officials making visits to the United States.

In a press release, Ho called the adoption of the resolution “unprecedented.”

— By Jim Snyder

George Tucker, handsome with black hair and brown eyes, has a job few would envy. As a doorkeeper on the Senate floor for the Senate sergeant at arms, his daily tasks involve making sure people abide by the rules — such as no BlackBerrying on the Senate floor.

Thankfully, he says, he does not have to scold senators when they don’t follow the rules — it’s mostly the aides.

“I leave the senators alone,” he says with a grin.

A native of Beuford, Ga., Tucker has the faintest of Southern accents. Growing up 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, he appreciates city life but also many aspects of growing up in a small Southern town.

Among his claims to fame is dressing up for the Miss Beuford Pageant, an event that helped raise money for the school system. Tucker and his buddies dressed up in drag “for a good cause,” he says. He wore a blond wig. “I don’t think it complimented my skin color,” he jokes, adding that he also wore high heels.

Tucker has a fairly intense workout schedule. He alternates between running and swimming five days a week. He’s also training for his first triathlon.

This floor aide enjoys going out on the weekends, but he likes a quiet place with outdoor seating. “I like to be able to hear myself think,” he says.

Tucker hasn’t been in a lot of serious relationships. He’s prepping to take the Foreign Service exam at some point and live abroad. When he does date, he prefers to avoid the dinner-and-movie option. “If you have to drop $100 every time you take a girl out, you’re not going to want to do it — not on my salary,” he says.

So, ladies, if you want to spend time with Tucker, you’re going to have to enjoy tubing on the river near Harper’s Ferry, W. Va., going to movies at Screen on the Green (they’re free) or attending outdoor concerts on the Mall (they’re also free).
                           
– By Betsy Rothstein

Some advice for Capitol menfolk flustered by the flame-red hair and whip-smart bearing of Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) communications director: Jessica Smith will surprise you.

With her porcelain skin and brilliant smile, you’d expect her to be a former model. In fact, Smith’s modeling career took off before middle school, as she and fraternal twin brother Matt appeared in national commercials and print ads for the kids’ overall line OshKosh B’Gosh. The Smith kids surprised their mom last year by restaging their advertisement, both in cheeky cuffed overalls.

Smith may also surprise you with a first-date activity — if you’re lucky enough to get one. Her favorite weekend pursuit is kayaking on the Potomac, and “if I had space in my 750-square-foot apartment, I’d [buy] a kayak,” she says. Among her biggest role models is her grandmother, who served as a Pentagon cryptographer during World War II.

Smith’s selection this year gives the dashing Webb a leg up in the Most Beautiful Office contest next year, as Webb press secretary Kimberly Hunter is also a veteran of the 50. Making the list is “definitely an honor,” Smith says, “though winning the spelling bee is traditionally more my speed.”

– By Elana Schor

Joelle Cannon has bad luck with cars and, more specifically, with Hondas.

The same week that the professional staffer at the Republican Study Committee (RSC) was selected to The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful People list, her car, which she had bought just three weeks before, was stolen from her apartment parking lot.

The used 1992 Honda’s theft conjured up an all-too-vivid memory for the 25-year-old conservative crusader. She and her family almost died when she left her car —also a Honda — running all night in the garage about a decade ago. They all wound up in the hospital but survived.

Cannon went on to Missouri State University, then landed a job with Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) before joining the RSC two years ago. She loves policy and working with multiple offices, and she currently works on healthcare, education and government-waste issues.

Her husband, Drew Cannon, works in the House Press Gallery. The couple have been married for three years.

He’s from Oregon, and she hopes to one day live there, teaching and coaching volleyball.

— Aaron Blake

Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) will be quite pleased: His dream of seeing one of his aides in The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful has come true. Katie Hargis, the lithe, natural beauty who ranked in this year’s contest, is a bit more circumspect.

“I’m a tomboy at heart. I’m not much of a girly-girl,” said the legislative assistant, adding that her boss has asked for regular updates on the status of the office’s three nominees. “It was a weekly question,” she said.

Hargis joined Snyder’s staff two years ago from Arkansas, where she grew up and earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Arkansas. She loves to travel and briefly lived among Bedouins while studying abroad in Jordan.

Hargis made an almost immediate impact on Capitol Hill, but not in the way she might have anticipated. One day early in her tenure, an older gentleman joined her on the subway to the Capitol. He tugged at his long, white beard and asked her what she thought of it.

“You’d look decades younger if you trimmed it,” Hargis candidly replied.

The fellow then identified himself as Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska). Not long afterward, he sheared his famed facial hair, Hargis recalled.

-By Jeffrey Young

Just about all women like a man in uniform, but U.S. Capitol Police officer Orlander Harrison would stand out in a Banana Republic T-shirt with a toothpick behind his ear.

Harrison has been working for the police department for four years. In his time off, he likes to travel: He just returned from Cancun, Mexico, and plans to visit Florence, Italy, in September.

At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, it’s obvious Harrison works out. He hits the gym five times a week and has started cycling — he likes to ride in Rock Creek Park.

Harrison, a Libra, and his wife, Kristin, have been married for a year. She once told him to meet her at the airport and surprised him with a trip to Miami. He called it the best date he has ever been on. He doesn’t remember the worst because he’s been “out of the game for a minute.”

In high school, Harrison was named best dressed and was always on the prom and homecoming courts, though he never was king. The Virginia Tech graduate doesn’t like people who are overly critical, but likes “everything” about the opposite sex.

Harrison has been asked to model, but “always chickened out,” he said shyly, flashing what he considers to be his best feature: his smile.

– By Kelly McCormack

She’s got spirit, yes she does.

Jessica Andrews is a cheerleader, and not just in the traditional sense.

As a member of the Washington Redskins ambassador cheerleading squad, Andrews attends promotional events and brings cheer to those who need it.

In her day job, Andrews works as public relations manager for the Fleet Reserve association, which, according to its website, works to “preserve and enhance benefits and quality-of-life programs for members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.”

So on the Hill, Andrews is cheering for servicemen and -women.

When in Redskinette uniform, Andrews said her squad, which does more with military issues than any other squad in the National Football League, often can be found at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

“I’m in the military myself, so it’s nice to kind of bring some good morale to some of the wounded over there,” she said.

Andrews has been in the Air Force Reserves for two and a half years, doing her time at Andrews Air Force Base.

“It seems like all of my activities kind of cross over,” she said. “I love politics and the military, so [Washington] is the perfect place to be.”

– By Sam Youngman

Gladys Barcena
Age: 22
Hometown: West Covina, Calif.
Political Party: Democrat
Dating Status: Single

California native Gladys Barcena enjoys an omelet any time of day, especially with fresh green or yellow jalapeños to spice it up.

Before the first egg is cracked, she is rocking out to Fergie and Gwen Stefani at the gym while most of us have yet to hit the snooze button.

It’s a quick Metro ride to her desk in the House Clerk’s Office, where she serves as the office manager. If she’s not at the office and the weather is bearable, she’s usually outside. If it’s too muggy, she’s indoors, dreaming of California’s ocean breezes. 

Barcena can spend hours talking to her family. She has five siblings, but two won’t be getting on the phone just yet — the Barcenas recently welcomed twin boys.

Her brother and sister are coming to town next month to celebrate their birthdays with their older sister. Let’s hope Barcena is a creative tour guide; she does not own a television.

– By Jonathan Kaplan

Jeff Eisenhauer
Age: 26
Political Party: Republican
Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Dating status: In a relationship

A few years ago in Tanzania, Jeff Eisenhauer was mugged on his way to watch a Super Bowl broadcast.

He handed the attackers his bag, which contained a pair of shoes, and survived the incident unscathed. Upon reflection, Eisenhauer said he probably shouldn’t have been walking through such a tough part of town, dismissing the move as “macho.”
Still, the previous year, locals in his neighborhood had tuned into arm-wrestling
instead of the Super Bowl and he needed a football fix.

Eisenhauer is chock-full of interesting stories about his time as an environmental volunteer for the Peace Corps, which he called the “best two years of his life.”

Following his return from Africa a year ago, the 6-foot-1, tanned, surferesque Republican started work as the mail manager for Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The lawmaker and Eisenhauer both hail from Winston-Salem.

Eisenhauer enjoys hitting the gym, rock climbing, watching soccer and attending concerts.

Though he’s currently taken, Eisenhauer said he likes “a girl who’s open to trying new things [and is] adventurous, easy going, likes to laugh.”

The floppy-haired blonde is not sure what is his best feature, but he thinks he knows his worst.

“I know it’s not the gap in my teeth,” Eisenhauer said. “I got made fun of all my life [for it].”

– By Kelly McCormack

While most of her Indiana University buddies moved to Chicago after graduating, Kathleen Taylor had her sights set on Washington and working for hometown congresswoman Julia Carson (D).

The six-term representative hasn’t disappointed. “She always asks up about our lives,” Taylor said. “She’s just wonderful.”

Taylor majored in journalism and political science in college, but never really considered a reporting career because she found it difficult to remain objective about political issues.

Just 23, Taylor handles financial services issues for Carson. One of those pretty, smart and nice types, Taylor’s job has kept her from dating anyone seriously.

“I work a lot,” she says. “I got really lucky, and I’m just trying to suck up [information] as much as I can.”

At 5-foot-10, Taylor does not play basketball. She prefers sailing with her father, who is a biomedical engineer. Taylor’s mother is a nurse practitioner. She also has an older sister who is a chemist and is part of the Indiana diaspora living in Chicago.

Taylor first fell in love with D.C. as an intern. But she doesn’t rule out returning to her hometown to work in local government. 

“I’m extremely interested in my district,” she says.

— Jim Snyder

Brady Van Engelen, a legislative assistant to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), is among our bravest beauties. He arrived on Capitol Hill in April after recovering from injuries sustained in Iraq.

In 2002, Van Engelen graduated from University of Seattle with ROTC and shortly thereafter was commissioned to Iraq. From April 2003 to April 2004 he served as a platoon leader with the First Army Division. His job as artillery patrol was, as he described it, “to wander the streets looking for bad guys.” He was shot in the head and luckily survived: “one inch lower and I would have been dead.” He now has a metal plate in his head and a huge scar on his scalp.

Van Engelen was medically discharged from the Army in 2005 after spending nine months as an outpatient at Walter Reed Hospital. He said he has no desire to return to Iraq. “I didn’t want to roll the dice again.”

Yet Van Engelen has no regrets about having been there — he lost friends, but it’s made him the man he is today.

– By Betsy Rothstein

Molly Gray
Age: 23
Hometown: South Newberry, Vt.
Political party: Democrat.
Dating status: Single.

Molly Gray, a former collegiate skier and aide to Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), bears a striking resemblance to actress Kelly McGillis, best known for playing Maverick’s — aka Tom Cruise’s — love interest in “Top Gun.”

Gray, 23, grew up on a strawberry, dairy and vegetable farm in eastern Vermont, and said she hadn’t previously been compared to McGillis.

“I have to say, I would take a walk in her shoes if that meant meeting Maverick and driving a Porsche,” she said.

Before signing up with Welch’s bid to succeed then-Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Gray was a top-notch cross-country skier at the University of Vermont. Her father was a two-time Olympic cross-country skier and her mother, a downhill racer, broke her leg before the 1976 Games.

Gray started racing in high school before attending a ski academy. She was too busy skiing to sign up for former Gov. Howard Dean’s (D) presidential campaign. In 2005, Gray interned for Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in Burlington and, after graduation, she joined Welch’s campaign.

Nathan Britton
Age: 35
Political party: Democrat
Hometown: Hamilton, Mass.
Dating status: In a relationship

Nathan Britton doesn’t like the spotlight. He demurred the last two times he was nominated for The Hill’s “50 Most Beautiful.” Only after some cajoling from his girlfriend did he agree to participate in this year’s rankings. “I prefer to be behind the scenes,” Britton explains.

The long-lashed Britton has been communications director to Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) for about three years. But politics wasn’t his lifelong dream. He was turned off by the corruption until a stint in Santiago, Chile, where he taught English and completed some graduate studies. It was an “eye-opening experience” that convinced him of the need to get involved, he says.

One of the brainier hunks on Capitol Hill, Britton completed a double major in literature and film at Occidental College in California. While in Chile, he penned a 25-page thesis in Spanish on the philosopher Jacques Derrida. He’s an avid reader and enjoys delving into the substance of policy for his job.

Britton’s not all serious, though. He loves to cook and used to play the guitar and bass in a band called “The Cables.” A soccer freak, he plays the sport three times a week. While on a recent trip to Ireland with his girlfriend, they flew to London just to watch the Tottenham Hotspur beat Aston Villa. Britton’s secret talent: A dead-on impersonation of Christopher Walken.

– By Jessica Holzer

Sarah Platts
Age: 22
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Political Party: Republican.
Dating Status: “Happily single.”

Sarah Platts is indeed one of The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful People, but not for much longer. No, she’s not getting any less beautiful; she’s just leaving the Capitol.

A staff aide for freshman Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Platts is departing for London in September to get her master’s degree at the London School of Economics. She’ll be gone for a year.

The 22-year-old did research at the National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies before starting as an intern for McCarthy. She is a graduate of the University of California-Irvine, which she attended on a dance scholarship.

She eventually dropped her dance major and found her way into politics and, eventually, Washington. Her job consists mostly of working on the congressman’s mail, but it also includes helping interns and staff with various tasks.

Her weekends generally consist of catching up on sleep, reading, walking around and having a glass of wine with friends.

Her favorite lawmaker who isn’t her boss is Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.). She admires Wilson as a former Rhodes Scholar and an Air Force Academy graduate. “I just think she’s a strong personality, and she’s good at what she does,” Platts said.

— Aaron Blake

It’s time for a Congress to start showing some love, suggested Phynaus Wilson, legislative assistant to Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.).

“There’s a lot of hate,” he said.

Wilson has his own ways of spreading love. He speaks Spanish. And he cooks: pecan pies and anything on the grill.

He has experienced moments of hate, though. During his worst-ever “romantic” outing, his date invited a friend to come along. The two women smoked in the car with the windows rolled up, and Wilson’s date hardly spoke to him.

But things got better. In New Orleans he took a woman out for Cajun cuisine. The dinner blossomed into a two-and-a-half-year relationship. They are still friends, he said.

Some have told Wilson he looks like Tiger Woods, but he said he looks more like his father.

“We both have big, goofy smiles,” he said, showing off his. “I get to see where I’m going.”

He hasn’t been in the spotlight, he says, since high school, when he played the town drunk in a Western stage drama. Baseball took up much of his time. Now he plays for a House softball team, the Liberal Agenda. 

“There’s beer before, during and after,” he said.

– By Emily Belz

Lea Stueve
Age: 29
Hometown: Olpe, Kansas
Political Party: Republican
Dating Status: In a relationship
 
As humble as she is pretty and petite, Lea Stueve describes herself as a typical Midwestern-raised girl with a strong family and a talent for gardening. But one look at her 1,000-watt smile and it’s clear that this vivacious Kansas native has a unique spirit and drive.

After graduating from high school, Stueve left her family farm and her town of 500 people to attend Kansas State University. She majored in family and community services with a minor in business administration before pursuing a master’s degree in family life education and consultation. She came to Washington in August 2005 and currently serves as a legislative assistant for Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

“I came to D.C. because I wanted an adventure and I wanted to witness history from a different vantage point,” Stueve said. “Having the opportunity to serve Kansans while I’m here has made my time even more worthwhile.”

When she’s not on the Hill, she enjoys escaping to the beach — a luxury that was not possible in Kansas — and visiting the rich historical areas around the District.

Despite being far away from home, Stueve has managed to find and enjoy some of the charms of the Midwest while living inside the Beltway.

“I like to go on picnics outside and going for walks on the Mall,” she said, adding that she also likes to sit in the rocking chairs in Barholdi Park next to the Rayburn building.

“I think it’s my small-town roots,” she laughed.

– By Jackie Kucinich

Maggie Sheely has tried her hand at a few different jobs. Rep. Geoff Davis’s (R-Ky.) legislative correspondent went from working as a seventh-grade English teacher to Washington, where she joined Ringling Brothers circus in its government relations department.

We know what you’re thinking. After dealing with children, clowns and animals, Sheely was uniquely qualified to move to the halls of Congress.

“It’s a little riskier,” Sheely said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

Sheely loves working for Davis, but was reluctant even to interview at Ringling Brothers because The Greatest Show on Earth freaks her out. When she was younger, she turned down free tickets to the event when it traveled through her hometown.

After a year of working with animal rights groups, concerned about the treatment of the circus animals, Sheely moved on to Capitol Hill Consulting before landing on the Hill.

Despite the “creepy circus stuff” in her old office, Sheely said she did learn to love one part of the gig.

“The elephants were the best part,” the Republican said, making it clear that she enjoyed working for the circus.

These days, Sheely said she is very happy working for Davis and living in the Washington area.

“I came on a whim, and I’m going to stay as long as I can,” she said.

– By Sam Youngman

Native Washingtonians may recognize Shuler’s name — not for passing legislation but from his days passing a football for the Washington Redskins in 1994.

In fact, Shuler has always been a standout. He set every passing record in his high school’s history and later was the runner-up for the Heisman trophy.

When he’s not in Washington or tending to his constituents, Shuler hunts and trains Labrador retrievers. He and his wife Nikol have two children, Navy, age 5, and Island, age 2.

In an interview with The Hill earlier this year, Shuler said he loves Washington, but that his time in the Capitol has proven to be more of a challenge than his first stint here.

“It’s certainly different than the first time,” Shuler said, adding that pressure as a lawmaker “is far greater” than what he faced as a rookie quarterback with the Redskins.

“Votes we cast here have a far greater impact than any third or fourth down in the toughest game ever,” he added.

– By Jackie Kucinich

Lucy Kafanov, a reporter at Environment and Energy Daily, grew up in Manhattan’s Chelsea and Upper West Side, but is “starting to actually like” Washington.

“You have to look very hard to find the artsier circles and unique places to go,” she said of D.C.’s scene. “In New York, it’s just there.”

She says her job is her boyfriend; she often has to work until 10 at night. But childhood was different. Her bohemian parents always had music playing in the home and never held nine-to-five jobs. Her dad, an artist, designed an album cover for the Smashing Pumpkins.

She gained appreciation for the power of art and journalism during her early childhood in Russia, where the government has a history of clamping down on artists and journalists.

She’s attracted to adventure; she wants to be a war correspondent.

On the home front, she likes exploring the city on bicycle and watching movies with friends.

Any man who takes her out should plan on jazz on U Street, but keep in mind the good music doesn’t start until after 11 p.m.

Although she spends most of her time covering wonkish energy and environment issues, she also nurtures an artistic streak, painting oils and watercolors. Lucy has a profile on Friendster, but she said she might take it down soon after appearing on The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful.

– By Alexander Bolton

Steven Popps
Age: 23
Hometown: McLean, Va.
Political party: Republican.
Dating status: Single and looking.

This good old “Virginia boy,” as he describes himself, was born and raised in McLean. He attended the College of William and Mary. Steven Popps’s job as a staff assistant to Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is his first place of employment out of school — his very first job was waiting tables at the local pizzeria in McLean.

Popps, with creamy skin and blue-gray eyes, comes from a big Greek family. He’s the oldest of four, followed by two brothers and a baby sister. He and his brothers are tall like him — he’s 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds.

Popps visited Greece while in high school and would like to return. “I mean, it’s paradise,” he says.

In Washington, he enjoys going out with his friends, and he belongs to the Capitol Club. “I pay dues,” he says. How much? “It’s affordable,” he says with a sly smile.

Popps sees himself as an “easygoing type of guy.” His favorite TV show is the reality-dating program “Age of Love,” in which the contestant must choose between younger and older women.

As for Popps, he isn’t picky. “I like them all, from the cougars to the kittens,” he says, flashing a grin.

One great moment for Popps happened during his senior year of college. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the commencement speaker, and it was his job to pick up Tutu from the airport and drive him to the school and join him for dinner. “He is just larger than life, and his work is some of the most important work in history,” Popps says.

– By Betsy Rothstein

Rosemary Muller
Age: 25
Political party: Republican
Hometown: Northridge, Calif.
Dating status: Off the market

It isn’t often that Rosemary Muller meets someone who rivals her family background.

The 5-foot-9 beauty is one of a clan of 11 lanky siblings raised by pro-life, Catholic parents in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Her German-immigrant father managed to put them all through private school with the proceeds from his upholstery business. Her mother, who has 10 siblings, stayed at home to rear them. “It’s totally rare. You don’t find that at all,” Muller said of her large family.

Given her abundance of siblings, it’s perhaps not surprising that one of her sisters, Virginia, also ranks among The Hill’s 50 most beautiful people. The pair shares an apartment with a couple other roommates on Capitol Hill.

Having such a big family may have influenced Muller’s easy disposition. Asked to recount her best date ever, she described a fresh crab pasta meal that her current beau prepared for her recently. “He made me dinner!” she exclaimed. “I’m really low-key. I don’t need a lot to make me happy.”

Muller was recently promoted from staff assistant to scheduler for Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), and she said the new job suits her well. She loves working in politics in D.C. but plans to return to California eventually.

“I don’t think it’s a permanent stay,” she said. “I miss the sun, my family and my nieces and nephews.”

A striking strawberry blonde, Muller said she gets complimented on her hair color and her smile. She sticks to a strict skin care regimen that includes getting lots of rest and drinking lots of water. She also enjoys running and Bikram yoga.

Surprised by her nomination for The Hill’s Top 50, Muller insisted she’s never received any official recognition for her looks before, only her athletic prowess. In high school, she was the league champion in the 800-meter dash.

– By Jessica Holzer

The beauty queen who doesn’t get asked out is almost too much of a cliché to be believed. But that’s who Sarah Barfield is.

“I really don’t date very often and I rarely get asked,” she says.

“Everyone either back home or people I met in college, they’re getting married,” she adds, describing herself as “very single.”

She must be single by choice, with her all-American good looks and her good-natured charm.

“I try to be very picky,” she says with a laugh.

Right now, she’s also busy with a still-pretty-new job in the House and working at night to earn a master’s degree at George Washington University.

But in college, Barfield twice competed in the Miss Missouri USA pageant, earning an honorable mention once and finishing in the top 15 the other time. In her home state of Illinois, she was named Miss Morgan County.

She’s stayed active in the pageant world in Illinois and is looking to start up in D.C., too.

“For me, it’s a great incentive to stay active and stay in shape,” she says.

– By Jeffrey Young

This blue-eyed beauty comes to us from the office of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), where he is a legislative correspondent.

After graduating from Northwestern University in August 2006, Anderson spent a year working as a fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center. The program sent him to Oakland, Calif., for six months to review the county’s food-stamp program. Then it was on to Washington, where he spent six months at the Northeast/Midwest Institution working on the farm bill.

Born in Olean, N.Y. (near Buffalo), Anderson was 15 when his father moved the family to Chicago. “At the time it was stressful and disjointing,” he said.

But soon, Anderson grew to love life in the big city.

The aide called his job with Schakowsky “fairly high-stress.” So on weekends he relaxes by hanging out with friends or taking day trips to places such as Great Falls. He plays on both kickball and soccer teams, and when he really wants to unwind he strums his guitar.

“I don’t try to tackle any super-complicated” tunes, he said.

Anderson’s personality is low-key, but it wasn’t always so. In the third grade he was so chatty and restless that his teacher kept moving him around the classroom. When that strategy failed, the teacher separated him from the other students for a month. Roots of his bad-boy ways began in kindergarten when he was sent to the principal’s office for singing while strolling down a hallway.

His parents didn’t take it seriously. “They thought, ‘Oh, he’s just expressing himself,’” Anderson said.

– By Betsy Rothstein

Unfortunately for the women of D.C., “if” is the operative word. If he is not in South Beach, he is off to New York or Chicago to catch a concert or spending the winter months hitting the slopes in Colorado.

Despite his travels, Valentine insists that he loves Washington, spending his evening hours frequenting what he and a friend call the “downtown circuit,” a well-edited list of hip spots in the city’s Chinatown area.

“If you are looking for beauty and brains, D.C. is the place to be,” Valentine said of the dating scene.

Before moving to the nation’s capital eight months ago, he worked on the Senate campaign of then-Rep. Harold Ford (D) in Tennessee. He was then hired by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) as an unpaid intern and has risen quickly through the ranks to his current position as a special assistant.

As ambitious as he is handsome, Valentine has no plans of stopping there. In the fall, he plans to begin work on his master’s degree in public administration at Howard University and hopes to land a job eventually as a lobbyist for the recording arts industry. He will remain with Meek as he continues his education.

When asked what else he could possibly fit into his busy schedule, Valentine mentioned he also plays tennis.

“I’m not as good as I used to be,” he demurred.

– By Jackie Kucinich

Virginia Muller
Age: 23
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Political Party: Republican.
Dating Status: Single.

Virginia Muller comes from a huge California family with a political backbone. Of the 11 kids in her family, four currently reside in the Washington area and have worked on the Hill.

The 10th of the 11 and the youngest of five girls, the newly promoted legislative correspondent for Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) lives with her sister Rosemary — also a Hill staffer and “50 Most Beautiful” selection.

Virginia Muller has something in common with both the Republican and Democratic leaders in the House. As a member of a huge family, she feels a connection to Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who came from a family with 12 children.
And despite her political differences with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), she said she respects her accomplishments and admires her work with the president of Muller’s alma mater, the University of San Francisco, a small Jesuit school.

The tall and slender Muller ran cross country in school, and she still runs and does yoga. And she claims that she still enjoys writing letters to constituents every day in her new job.

She aims to go to business school and get a job where she can travel all over the world or, ideally, make enough money to do it on her own.

— Aaron Blake

Trevor Kincaid
Age: 24
Political party: Democrat
Hometown: Durham, N.C.
Dating status: Girlfriend

For the 24-year-old deputy communications director to Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), rock climbing is not just a way to spend the day outdoors — it’s an adrenaline rush and a mental challenge. Conquering the mountain gives him a great feeling of accomplishment. The Durham native has rock-climbed all over the country, but his favorite mountains are the Appalachians in North Carolina.

The fit, full-lipped Aquarius is not just a mountain man. He loves to cook — seafood in particular — but never the same dish. He is just as comfortable in a dive bar drinking beer as he is enjoying a super-expensive bottle of champagne. One of his favorite dates, in fact, was a day of rock climbing, followed by a ballet presentation at the Kennedy Center and dessert at Morton’s.

Raised to be the quintessential Southern gentleman, nothing bothers Kincaid more than inconsiderate people and those who disrespect the elderly. “You do not see a lot of that [respect] in D.C.,” said the blue-eyed, tanned Senate staffer who always has a pleasant smile ready.

For him, the most important step in life would be to have a family and a good quality of life. But ladies, don’t get your hopes up: Kincaid is in a serious long-distance relationship. He often travels to New Jersey for the weekend.

– By Roxana Tiron

When dining at a nice restaurant, Ashley Futrell never would leave her napkin on the table. Ever.

As any etiquette book will tell you, the proper thing to do is place one’s napkin on one’s chair if one must excuse oneself. And Futrell knows her manners, because she is kind of obsessed with etiquette books.

“I know I probably sound crazy,” she said, but she thinks the rest of us would probably enjoy learning the ins and outs of polite behavior, too, if we gave it a chance.

Perhaps, Futrell’s packed social calendar is a reflection that her impeccable sense of decorum is well received. She is a member of a slew of clubs, including the Junior League, the University Club and the Capitol Hill Running Club.

Futrell loves that she works for Congress, and she’s taking notes: She aims to return one day with a members’ pin on her lapel. She intends to achieve many other goals before that, however, from running the Marine Corps Marathon this October to starting a nonprofit to help reintroduce ex-offenders into society.

Futrell, who claims that she was “not the cutest person in the world” when she was in high school, went to the prom alone not so long ago — but she said lettering in 12 sports was more than enough to make up for that.

– By Daphne Retter

Michael Ortiz
Press aide to Sen. Obama. Ortiz refused to be interviewed for this story.