Caleb Crosswhite

With his confident look, coiffed blond hair and tailored duds, Caleb Crosswhite looks right at home on Capitol Hill. But looks can be deceiving, and Crosswhite certainly didn’t take a typical career path to get to Washington and the House Committee on Agriculture.

A Texas native, Crosswhite says he can trace his political origins all the way back to his uncle’s farm. The legislative assistant spent his younger days learning from his uncle and brother how to show cattle, eventually leading him to judge livestock contests competitively for his high school.   

“Most people here don’t have any idea what that is,” he said with a laugh.

{mosads}Through livestock judging, he received a scholarship to attend Texas Tech University, where he graduated with a degree in animal sciences in 2011. From there, Crosswhite landed two internships through his school, which ultimately helped him find him a job in the House.

A committee staffer by day and a George Mason University Law School student by night, Crosswhite is as busy as can be, but he still manages to find a bit of time for himself. He likes to play tennis and go to the beach with friends, or enjoy a glass of his favorite whiskey. 

“People talk about all these fancy scotches and whiskeys and bourbons, but I like my Crown,” he says.

And he hasn’t forgotten his roots, as he says he still enjoys judging livestock contests at county fairs outside of Washington.

While he doesn’t describe himself as an exercise junkie, Crosswhite did participate in one military-style obstacle course. 

“I did the Tough Mudder with my friend in Virginia, but I would by no means describe myself as an athlete,” he says.

Although he might be tough enough for the more than 10-mile, endurance-testing course, Crosswhite has his weaknesses. 

“I recently stopped drinking Dr. Pepper,” he says, before adding with a grin, “I was addicted for a while.”

— Pierre de Dreuzy