John Hoeven
FARGO – Despite local love for his lip garnish, North Dakota Sen.-elect John Hoeven didn’t even crack the top five in a popularity vote to crown the “Mustached American of the Year.”
Hoeven was among 19 finalists for the American Mustache Institute’s Robert Goulet Memorial award. Flavor-saver fans had been voting online since mid-October to decide who would win the honor.
Among Hoeven’s competition were an Oscar-nominated director, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a major league baseball umpire, a former NBA star point guard, Twins’ pitcher Carl Pavano and TV/radio personality Pat O’Brien.
But after garnering 22 percent of more than a half-million votes cast, Florida firefighter Brian Sheets took home the third-annual award, according to an announcement today from AMI.
AMI says “the Goulet Award is not a ‘best mustache’ contest but instead recognizes the person who best-represents or contributes to the Mustached American community during the prior year.”
It’s unknown how many votes Hoeven claimed, but AMI reported the top five in this year’s competition were:
- Sheets (22 percent)
- Syndicated columnist Jerry Zezima (17 percent)
- Minnesota Twins pitcher Carl Pavano (15 percent)
- Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten (14 percent)
- Entertainer Brandon Wardell (13 percent)
Back in January, The Forum chronicled the uniqueness of Hoeven’s ‘stache in a political world where a clean-shaven face often translates into public perception. The governor’s facial garb has also drawn a swooning Facebook fanbase of nearly 900 followers.
When Hoeven joins the U.S. Senate in January, he’ll be one of only a few senators who don facial hair.
