State Rep. Paul Hoeft, R-Powell, considers himself a 19th century man stuck in a 21st century world.
“I’m a 19th century man stuck in this time,” he said.
Hoeft, a freshman legislator, likely has the most impressive mustache in the Wyoming Legislature, a large handlebar with outstretched wings that extend nearly a foot out from his face. He said he gets many comments about it.
Yes, he does wax it, but otherwise that baby is all natural.
He also often wears older-styled suits and color patterns that one might expect to have seen in the 1950s rather than 2024.
Beyond The Stache'
Hoeft has had a mustache since he was 16 and first started growing his mustache out in its current style when he moved to Wyoming from Washington in 1995. The small, rural culture of Wyoming is what brought him to the state, another throwback from an older time.
An auto mechanic by trade, Hoeft takes the same approach to his lawmaking, Hoeft said, ruling with common sense and practicality rather than partisan winds.
“A lot of our solutions to today’s problems take a little step back,” he said. “Let’s look at them through the lens of another time and culture and see how they operate. Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s not.”
No matter the issue, Hoeft said he tries to consider all sides. He took that approach to the topic of hand counting ballots and banning election machines on Wednesday night, a topic many conservatives like himself have supported in the past.
Hoeft said he has “serious questions” related to the cost of counting all ballots by hand.
“I don’t believe this bill is ready for primetime,” he said.
A Campaign Mustache
Another impressive mustache is the lip caterpillar worn by Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Cheyenne. Johnson wears a long horseshoe mustache, a classic look in Western cowboy culture. He’s been rocking the look for around 50 years, he said.
In recent years, Johnson has started growing his mustache longer.
Johnson joked that Hoeft may be using extensions in his mustache, while his is also all natural.
He made his mustache a major piece of his 2024 campaign, using a cartoon logo of his mustache sitting under a cowboy hat. He believes his mustache helped earn him “more than a couple votes.”
“It was really successful,” he said.
The use of this facial feature and a campaign love letter written by his wife drew Laramie County GOP Committeeman Dallas Tyrrell to remark that Johnson ran the most unique campaign in his county.
“He said, ‘you ran on a love letter and mustache facial hair,’” Johnson said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
