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Special to the Daily Journal/Messenger

This is the pose Rep. Gresham Barrett struck for The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, which included the Westminster congressman in its annual Ômost beautifulÕ list.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Gresham Barrett’s ramp up for a re-election campaign this fall got an unexpected boost this week when The Hill, the newspaper on Capitol Hill, released its fifth 50 Most Beautiful People list with Barrett at number nine.

And, while Barrett’s inclusion in the top 10 might seem impressive, it’s noteworthy that he finished a full seven notches below one of his own aides, Brecke Latham, who finished second in the competition.

The Hill Web site states that the 50 Most Beautiful People list is by far the most anticipated issue of the summer.

The competition actually begins a year ahead of its publishing date. The paper receives nominations throughout the year and voting is continuous during the year.

This year's competition was the most heated yet, the Web site stated, with nearly 400 nominations submitted for review. At one point, the 50 Most Beautiful online mailbox crashed from so many nominations.

Barrett and Latham finished behind number one choice Tulani Elisa, a 24-year-old, Boston Democrat, who listed her dating status as, "Happily single." Elisa is a legislative assistant for Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass).

The 47-year-old Barrett, a Westminster Republican, told The Hill it was puzzling to him that others might find him good-looking.

"This is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me, so it's all kind of new," he said. "I'm just kind of an average guy."

The Hill’s story led with a reference to Barrett’s days as a high school quarterback.

“Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) is proof positive that a high school quarterback can marry his cheerleader girlfriend and live happily ever after,” the story said.

Barrett and his wife, Natalie, dated for a year in high school and all through college before getting married in August 1984.

"My daddy always told me you can tell a lot about a man by the way his shoes look," he told The Hill. "I try to shine my shoes and keep my tie straight."

He also credits his time at The Citadel and in the Army for his consistently clean, crisp look.

These days, the paper suggests, “You'll more than likely see Barrett and his aides walking around the Capitol in matching seersucker suits. He and his staff have adopted a ‘seersucker Wednesdays’ tradition during the summer, attracting both compliments and gentle ribbing from his amused colleagues.”

Barrett’s portion of The Hill story is accompanied by a photo of him leaning against his desk, a sharp contrast to the pose Latham offered The Hill photographer for her profile. Latham is not pictured in her yellow seersucker suit but in a black evening dress and cut-away heels in the marble-lined halls of the Capitol.

Latham, 28, understandably lists her political persuasion as Republican, but told The Hill that she would date a Democrat if she met the right one.

"I believe you can cross party lines for friendship and legislation," she says.