Christian Barnes, who serves as the receptionist in the office of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), isn’t your average staff assistant.

At 23, he knows he’s at the bottom of the totem pole, so to speak. But someday he’d like to have more power in the office — in fact, someday, he’d like to run for office himself. His dream job: a county sheriff in Alabama. He wouldn’t mind being a congressman, but he says he’s “not too keen on the Senate” where “there’s not enough action, really.”

In the meantime, he jokes, someday he’d like to have Mike Anderson’s job — Anderson is currently Young’s chief of staff. But watch out, Anderson, Barnes is not completely kidding.

For now, however, Barnes contentedly greets the visitors who enter the office and handles the office grunt work of dealing with constituent calls and even the occasional pushy caller who wants the congressman to stop whatever he’s doing and take the call.

Last Friday morning, he had to deal with an angry man from Cleveland who wanted to talk with the congressman about the highway bill. “Congressman Young is busy enough as it is,” says Barnes. “It just seemed to me he just wanted someone to yell at, so I sort of absorbed it. You have to have patience with this job. It’s customer service.”

Before the Clevelander finally wore himself out, Barnes told him that perhaps next time he should call his own member of Congress.

Barnes, who graduated with a bachelor’s in political science from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., says his people skills are excellent. “I’ve always been talkative, and I’m a social person anyway,” he says. “I like to sit down and just connect with folks. I have a great way of remembering people’s names. I always think of their name and where they grew up. The key to a good conversation with someone is to find out what you have in common with them, whether it’s the color red or Tabasco sauce and then you’ll eventually become close friends or acquaintances.”

He adds, “But don’t give away all my secrets.”

Born in Washington D.C., Barnes was raised in Boyds, Md. After he graduated from Auburn, he moved back to Washington, where he spent six months interning for the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation — Young is a member of the Congressional Sportman’s Caucus. After shopping his resume around Capitol Hill, Barnes landed an internship with Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), where he lasted two days before securing the more permanent position with Young’s office.

For now, Barnes says, “It’s like everything; you have to pay your dues.” This week, those dues included going out into the cold on Independence Avenue and picking up Chinese food for the office. “It was all right,” he says. “You’ve got to be humble. You’ve got to start from the bottom and work your way up. I think everybody should have to do that.”

DeLauro names new chief of staff

Last week, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) named Ashley Westbrook Turton, 31, to be chief of staff for her Washington, D.C., office.

Turton has worked for DeLauro for five years, beginning as her press secretary in April 2000. In 2003, Turton became DeLauro’s leadership aide and floor assistant, a post she held until 2004, when she was named senior policy adviser. In this post, she was responsible for creating new public-policy initiatives for the congresswoman.

“I think my boss is one of the most rewarding members of Congress to work for,” Turton says.

Turton, who says DeLauro is the first female pol she has worked for, never anticipated becoming chief of staff: “When I came here in 2000 from North Carolina, I didn’t expect this is where I would end up five years later, but I am truly honored. I was so excited to come here five years ago. I was excited to work for Congresswoman DeLauro, and had followed her rise in Congress.”

Turton grew up in Raleigh, N.C. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina State University in 1997. She worked in North Carolina politics before moving to Washington, in the office of former Gov. Jim Hunt (D) and then as a spokeswoman for Attorney General Mike Easley (D), who is now the governor.

Turton replaces Herb Giobbi, who recently left Capitol Hill to return to the private sector.