After nearly 15 years, The Hill is bidding a beautiful bye-bye to its annual 50 Most Beautiful list.

While it’s had a remarkably gorgeous run, The Hill team feels the time has come for 50 Most Beautiful to be added to that big, beautiful list in the sky.

“It’s been a great run, but all things must come to an end,” The Hill editor-in-chief Bob Cusack said. “Rest in peace.”

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Since making its debut in 2004, 50 Most Beautiful has become an extraordinarily popular summertime tradition in Washington. Every year, editors pore through hundreds upon hundreds of nominations of D.C. hopefuls.



Originally, the list featured lawmakers, journalists, congressional staffers and lobbyists. But in 2013, in honor of 50 Most Beautiful’s 10th anniversary, The Hill expanded its nomination pool to also include the White House, Cabinet departments and executive agencies.

What started from humble beginnings as the brainchild of Betsy Rothstein, a former reporter for The Hill, quickly became a Washington pop culture mainstay.

The annual 50 Most Beautiful issue even made its way onto the airwaves as part of a key plot line in HBO’s “Veep,” whose production crew reached out to The Hill to ensure a prop copy appeared authentic.

In the 2016 episode, Jonah Ryan, a fictional executive branch staffer, became obsessed with not making the cut after one of his colleagues shocked the office by earning a position on the list.

“How am I not on The Hill’s 50 Hottest Staffers list this year?” Ryan laments.

“It’s the 50 Hottest Staffers, Jonah — not the 50 people most likely to kill themselves before trial,” one of Ryan’s co-workers shoots back.

In its more than a decade of existence, 50 Most Beautiful featured more than 80 lawmakers in its pages, and plenty of other big names.

Then-Sen. Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaMichelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez exchange Ginsburg memories Pence defends Trump's 'obligation' to nominate new Supreme Court justice The militia menace MORE (D-Ill.) snagged a spot in 2005, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare House lawmakers reach deal to avert shutdown Centrist Democrats 'strongly considering' discharge petition on GOP PPP bill MORE (D-Calif.) was featured in 2007 and House Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) joined the Most Beautiful ranks in 2008. The 2015 list included Michelle Obama Michelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaMichelle Obama: 'Don't listen to people who will say that somehow voting is rigged' Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez exchange Ginsburg memories Social media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day MORE, while both Melania Trump Melania TrumpMelania Trump: Ginsburg's 'spirit will live on in all she has inspired' The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - You might want to download TikTok now Warning label added to Trump tweet over potential mail-in voting disinformation MORE and White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump Ivana (Ivanka) Marie TrumpSpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report Trump, Biden vie for Minnesota Trump luxury properties have charged US government .1M since inauguration: report MORE were among the Beautiful bunch last year.

This being Washington, The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful wasn’t without controversy, with critics every year hurling some not-so-beautiful jabs at the latest crop. It also took its fair share of lighthearted ribbing — even among those being honored.

In 2014, Sens. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Trump seeks to flip 'Rage' narrative; Dems block COVID-19 bill MORE (R-Ky.) and Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) were both featured on 50 Most Beautiful, but the Kentucky lawmaker was quick to poke fun at his Senate colleague’s ranking.

“Congrats to my friend @CoryBooker for being #44 out of 50 on The Hill’s Most Beautiful List,” tweeted Paul, who took the ninth spot. Only the top 10 were actually ranked, and Booker was simply listed 44th on the entire list.

“I hate to tell u this Rand but I think we were late pity adds 2 this list of the young & gorgeous,” Booker quipped back.

A fair share of copycats also cropped up over the years, each trying to get a piece of the gorgeously baked pie. In 2015, Independent Journal Review launched its “Cutest Dogs on Capitol Hill” contest because, it said at the time, “Every July, a crushing, deep and mortal sadness grips the nation’s capital as offices across the Metro area stare with confused emotions at The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful list.”

And in 2013, HuffPost was inspired to document “The 50 Hills Most Beautiful” (country singer Faith Hill landed in third place, while the green hills in Washington’s Steptoe Butte State Park was the big winner).

In a city where mudslinging, smear campaigns and partisan bickering are part of the game, 50 Most Beautiful sought to offer a fun and good-looking respite from the political noise coming out of Capitol Hill.

While we’ll certainly miss our sunny celebration of delightful Democrats, ravishing Republicans and elegant everything-in-betweens, The Hill wants to thank everyone who helped complete this beautiful chapter.