Skip to content

Familiar Names Top Leaderboard at ACLI Capital Challenge

Cotton led the way for lawmakers again. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Cotton led the way for lawmakers again. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Runners from Capitol Hill and beyond descended  on the banks of the Anacostia River Wednesday morning for the 34th annual ACLI Capital Challenge.  

On a surprisingly cool day, members of Congress and the executive branch were joined in the 3-mile run at Anacostia Park by their staff, private industry and representatives from the Fourth Estate, including a number of CQ Roll Callers. Oregon Democrat and cycling enthusiast Earl Blumenauer’s “Red, White & Blumenauer” led the way for House teams, with Michigan Republican Bill Huizenga’s and Georgia Republican Tom Graves’ teams taking silver and bronze, respectively.  

Over on the Senate side, Team Portman took top honors, followed by the teams for New Hampshire’s  Kelly Ayotte and Mountain Stater Shelley Moore Capito. (Ayotte defeated Capito in the head-to-head heat by just more than a minute, unofficially.)  

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas retained his crown  as the fastest lawmaker with an unofficial time of 19:12, although, perhaps fittingly , Team Cotton consisted of — well — just him. California Rep. Eric Swalwell, recently tasked by leadership with recruiting the millennial vote , finished about a minute behind Cotton to top House members.  

Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema also finished quickest among female lawmakers for the second year in a row, posting an unofficial time of 24:14. (Ayotte and Capito were second and third, respectively.)  

As for the congressional office ranks, Paul Balmer, a legislative assistant for Blumenauer, finished first overall among male staffers with an unofficial time of 15:07, and Elizabeth Oblinger, legislative aide for Rob Portman, took first place among female staffers.  

See more results from the race here .  

Related:

Potty Humor at ACLI Capital Challenge


The 114th: CQ Roll Call’s Guide to the New Congress


Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.

Recent Stories

Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on the Supreme Court, dies at 93

Members want $26 billion for programs the Pentagon didn’t seek

Expelling bee — Congressional Hits and Misses

Appeals court rejects Trump push to dismiss Jan. 6 suits from lawmakers, police

Photos of the week ending December 1, 2023

House expels Rep. George Santos