Barrasso’s new chief of staff looks a lot like his last one

Sen. John Barrasso’s (R-Wyo.) longtime chief of staff, Shawn Whitman, left the Senate on Friday after 16 years. Luckily for Barrasso, his replacement is a guy who’s practically Whitman’s doppelganger.

Dan Kunsman, who grew up down the street from Whitman in Laramie, Wyo., has been one of Whitman’s closest friends his whole life. A year apart in age, the two met in Sunday school, they were in each other’s weddings, and both have two kids, who are the same ages.

{mosads}Kunsman started in Barrasso’s office on Monday, but told ITK, “It doesn’t feel like the first day until the senator gets in later this afternoon.”

Kunsman joked that he and Whitman “hatched this plan in Sunday school,” although it didn’t really get under way until they were adults.

“Shawn was my press intern in [the late] Sen. Craig Thomas’s [R-Wyo.] office 16 years ago. He was terrible,” Kunsman joked. “No, seriously, Shawn has excelled at every job he’s had on the Hill, and my biggest challenge here is really going to be trying to take over from him.”

On Monday, Whitman formally joined Kountoupes Consulting LLC as a principal. The father of young girls, Whitman told ITK, “It’s the right decision for my family at this point in our lives.”

As for how Kunsman plans to emulate his predecessor, he said, “By listening, and really knowing the people on this team.” He also plans to get involved with some of the professional associations Whitman participated in. Until Friday, Whitman chaired the Republican Chief of Staff and Staff Directors’ group, as well as RAMS, a group of current and former GOP House and Senate chiefs of staff.

As for his working style, Kunsman said he’ll keep the door to his Dirksen office open “all day and half the night.” So if you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and say hi.