When her son Henry was born in 2008, New York’s junior senator became the sixth sitting member of Congress to have a child while in office. And now she’s earned an even more distinguished honor: Her colleague, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, recently dubbed her “ the hottest member” of the chamber. How’d she go from mommy to hottie? “A whole lot of hard work,” Gillibrand told the New York Daily News. The senator ran, hit the gym, and even played squash with fellow Senator Al Franken.
Landov; Jason Kempin / Getty Images
The New Jersey governor—who famously dared his predecessor Jon Corzine to call him fat after Corzine ran a pithy ad alleging that Christie “ threw his weight around”—has slimmed down considerably since taking office in 2009. Christie’s weight was “in the ballpark” of 550 pounds at the time, by his own admission. He’s not done yet either, telling Don Imus in September that his progress thus far, spurred on by health worries, was “like throwing a couple of deck chairs off the Titanic.” And for those who see hints of a 2012 presidential run in his drastic weight loss, Christie told Imus he still doesn’t think he looks the part: “No way! Look at me!”
Clinton, a bit zaftig during his days in the White House, was given plenty of reason to get in shape in 2004 when he underwent a quadruple coronary artery bypass—and again in 2010 when one of the stents from that procedure became obstructed. The former president switched to “essentially a plant-based diet” and eventually lost 24 pounds, saying he dropped to “basically what I weighed in high school.” Of course, health wasn’t his only motivation: His daughter Chelsea also pushed him to slim down before her wedding, telling her father that he’s “ gotta look good.”
Georges DeKeerle / Getty Images; Dave M. Benett / Getty Images
After he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2002, Huckabee, then governor of Arkansas, took drastic measures to get his weight under control. Within 18 months, Huckabee dropped a substantial 110 pounds. Aside from the health benefits, the conservative Republican gained some political traction from the move as well. As he touted on the website of the exploratory committee for his 2008 presidential bid, Huckabee’s personal achievement translated into a serious push for health legislation in Arkansas, where he launched a Healthy Arkansas initiative.
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The former VP hopeful burst onto the national scene just months after the birth of her fifth child, Trig. The slow shedding of her baby weight ( Palin is an avid runner) combined with the toll of the frenetic campaign schedule eventually led to noticeable weight loss. When People magazine caught up with the newly famous pol after the election—and almost a year after Trig was born— Palin deflected any intended subtext in the question of her weight loss: “I’ve lost weight since I had my baby. Thanks for noticing!”
Al Grillo / AP Photo; Kevin Rivoli / AP Photo
While Hillary and Obama were gunning for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was apparently doing push-ups. Richardson had dropped 30 pounds by early 2007, around the time he officially threw his name into the ring—but he wasn’t thrilled about it. “I am kind of miserable at succeeding,” Richardson told CNN in March of that year. Once he lost the race to Obama and wrapped up his campaign, Richardson found a new way to manifest his political status: he grew a beard to “decompress.”
Jim Cole / AP Photo
In 2002, Nadler was a nationally known, five-term Congressional representative who couldn’t walk up the stairs to cast a vote on the House floor. After he hit 338 pounds, Nadler, 55 at the time, resorted to stomach-reduction surgery and promptly dropped over 60 pounds. And his constituents were thankful. “I can’t tell you how many people—complete strangers—have come up to me and said, ‘Congressman, you’re doing a great job, and I want you to continue to be my congressman, so you have to lose weight,’” Nadler told The New York Times.
Roger L. Wollenberg / Newscom; Paul Hawthorne / Getty Images
After he nearly clinched the presidency in 2000, Gore turned a narrow loss into a growing waistline, packing on pounds as he faded from public view. By 2002, according to Salon, his wedding ring no longer fit on his swollen finger. But Gore later found renewed purpose in environmental causes and shed the extra baggage. Asked how he did it by the ladies of The View in 2009, the former vice president’s response was typically dry: “It’s a startling secret,” he said. “Eating better and exercising more.”
Jae C. Hong / AP Photo; Stefania D'Alessandro / Getty Images
Over time, Beltway insiders have learned to tether a politician’s expanding political aspirations to his receding waistline—and by that measure, Haley Barbour may have a Presidential run in his future. At this summer’s Republican Governors Association summit, Mississippi’s governor turned heads with a noticeably slim figure, piquing some interest and reminding many of a statement he had made earlier in the year. “If you see me losing 40 pounds, that means I’m either running or have cancer.”
Paul J. Richards / Getty Images; Mark Wilson / Getty Images
The famed civil rights activist picked up relatively few votes for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, but he was able to pick up some pounds on the campaign trail. Once the process wrapped up—and he split from his wife of 24 years—Sharpton got into gear, quickly shedding 30 pounds, a dramatic loss for a man who often hit the 300 mark on the scale. “If you can beat your diet, you can beat anything,” Sharpton marveled at the time—except maybe the other guys on the ballot.
Bebeto Matthews / AP Photo;Jessica Rinaldi / AP Photo
