Barrasso Marvels at Becoming Wyoming’s Newest U.S. Senator

By Brodie Farquhar, 6-22-07

Only in America, said Dr. John Barrasso, could the son of a cement finisher become a U.S. Senator.

Barrasso, the newly appointed replacement to the late Wyoming’s U.S. Senator Craig Thomas, held his first press conference at 1:30 p.m. today, on the front steps of the Dick Cheney Federal Building in downtown Casper.

He relayed that he’d received a phone call from Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal at 9:15 a.m., informing him that he’d been selected as Wyoming’s new senator. Barrasso declined to say what else he and the governor spoke about this morning, but noted that he soon received a phone call from Max Maxfield, the secretary of state, confirming that documents confirming Barrasso’s appointment had been signed and sent to the secretary of the U.S. Senate.

Click here to read more about the appointment and Barrasso’s political history.

Barrasso said his father dropped out of school in ninth grade, during the Great Depression, to go to work and help his family. The senior Barrasso went on to serve in World War II, and fought at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge.

“I learned the value of hard work when I started working each summer, after ninth grade, pushing wheelbarrows full of heavy cement,” said Dr. Barrasso. His late father always valued education for his children, he added.

He said he hoped that his mother would be able to attend his swearing in ceremony, into the U.S. Senate, on Monday.

Barrasso also recognized his college-bound children, Peter and Emma, as well as “the love of my life,” Bobbi Brown, who works a the state director in Craig Thomas’ Casper office.

Barrasso said he would learn about his committee assignments on Monday, after meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY.
He told the assembled reporters that he was grateful being selected by the governor and selection into the final three candidates by the state’s Republican Central Committee on Tuesday. Barrasso said any of the three could have done well with the job of representing “all of the people of Wyoming.”