UNITED STATES - MARCH 10: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is seen in the U.S. Capitol during votes on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Beth has died at an estimated age of 49. The Hoover vacuum cleaner belonged to Chuck Grassley, the Republican senator representing Iowa.
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Beth's cause of death was an electrical malfunction. The President pro tempore of the United States Senate wrote a touching eulogy to the beloved Hoover over the weekend. We have the details below.
Chuck Grassley Called Beth a "Real Workhorse"
Beth, who was named for a former senate staffer, apparently met her end on Saturday, Aug. 8. The 92-year-old Grassley confirmed the news on social media.
"U willl see Beth no more," the senator wrote. "See black that's from electrical sparks. It's not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH .U hv [sic] been a real workhorse. Ur namesake still is hard worker. I will miss u."
He added, "It's a sad day at Grassley household. For my 34 years and 15 yrs before that at my mother in law's home Beth has worked dependably."
It?s a sad day at Grassley household?. For my 34 years and 15 yrs before that at my mother in law?s home Beth has worked dependably?.
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley)
Beth Was a Viral Sensation
Fans and constituents of Grassley are likely familiar with the senator's long-time vacuum cleaner. As reported by The New York Times, she was a welcome addition to the public servant's holiday social media posts.
The senator often used the Hoover as he prepared his farmhouse for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter events. In fact, the vacuum has been around since before Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1981 and has been in good working order longer than some elected officials.
Beth was first introduced to the public in 2018. Grassley waxed poetic about the vacuum two days before Turkey Day that year.
"Mrs G and daughter Wendy hv started big job of preparing meal for30 at farm Thxgiving," he wrote at the time. "So my housework contribution begins. This is my machine (Beth)."
But over the last few years, Beth began to outshine its owner on social media, getting millions of views as the holidays approached. While most vacuums last an average of eight years, Beth lasted over six lifetimes.
Josh Turek, a Democratic representative running for Iowa's other Senate seat, offered his condolences to Grassley.
"Sorry for your loss, Senator," he wrote. "Sounds like Beth had a heck of a run."
