Eight Freshmen to Watch In the 115th Congress

Getting elected to public office isn’t an automatic ticket to celebrity -- unless one wins the presidency, of course, or does a turn on "Dancing with the Stars," a la former Texas Gov., and current secretary of Energy nominee, Rick Perry.

But when the 115th United States Congress is seated on Tuesday, a mix of political royalty and newer notable names will take their places and begin drawing their share of media attention and public scrutiny. Here’s an introduction to a select few:

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY)

After a heated battle for a Senate seat in 2014 ended in failure, the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney won the seat her father held for 11 years. She was an early and unwavering supporter of President-elect Donald Trump’s White House run. And with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) the only woman currently holding a leadership position in a Congress light on women, Cheney, 50, may be able to parlay her name recognition and familial connections into a role on a prominent committee.

You can keep track of Rep. Cheney's votes and bills sponsored here.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Panetta’s path to Washington follows that of his father, Leon, who served two years as President Barack Obama’s Defense Secretary. The elder Panetta won his House seat at age 38; his son, just elected to represent California’s 20th District, is already 47. Still, with a dad who was also the White House Chief of Staff and the CIA Director, Jimmy Panetta possesses the sort of pedigree that quickly landed him appointment as a regional whip.

You can keep track of Rep. Panetta's votes and bills sponsored here.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL)

Mast — who at 36 will be one of the youngest members of the incoming Congress — came to national prominence as President Obama’s guest at the 2011 State of the Union Address. On behalf of the nation, the president thanked the former Army bomb technician, who lost both legs in Afghanistan, and fellow Republicans gave him a standing ovation during a recent caucus meeting.

You can keep track of Rep. Mast's votes and bills sponsored here.

Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN)

This former radio talk-show honed a reputation as "the Donald Trump of Minnesota" largely by denigrating Latinos and same-sex marriage and claiming that whites are committing “cultural suicide by failing to reproduce at the same rate as Hispanics.” Democrats were sure that such controversial comments would torpedo his chances with voters, but just as Trump was propelled to the presidency despite his blunt comments and stinging tweets, Lewis traded in his statewide celebrity for a ticket to the nation’s capital, where he now has to rush to get up to speed on what it actually takes to govern.

You can keep track of Rep. Lewis's votes and bills sponsored here.

Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL)

After forgoing re-election as Florida governor in 2010 to run for the U.S. Senate, only to be edged out of the Republican bid by Marco Rubio, Crist ran as an Independent and lost. So he jumped to the Democratic Party and in 2014 re-sought the governorship, this time losing to Republican Rick Scott. Not one to give up easily, Crist ignited his latest political comeback by defeating incumbent David Jolly and now, at 60, finds himself in an unusual position, that of a freshman D.C. lawmaker with a nonetheless well-known name.

You can keep track of Rep. Crist's votes and bills sponsored here.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)

Her six years as California’s attorney general made Harris the top prosecutor in one of the nation’s most populous and diverse states. Now she steps into the leadership vacancy left by the retiring Barbara Boxer, and she does so as only the second black woman -- and the first person of East Indian descent – ever elected to the U.S. Senate. Back home, she successfully sued the for-profit Corinthian Colleges for $1.1 billion, whittled down the state’s backlog of untested rape kits and negotiated a mortgage-relief settlement on behalf of California homeowners, all while expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. At 52, Harris is firmly planted atop many a political watch list as a potential candidate to be the first woman elected to presidency.

You can keep track of Sen. Harris's votes and bills sponsored here.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

The retirement of longtime Sen. Harry Reid had Republicans hoping to snatch a seat in a key swing state and ensure their Senate majority for at least the next two years. Reid, however, was certain that another Democrat would succeed him. He was right. Cortez Masto, 52, narrowly beat Republican challenger Joe Heck to become Nevada’s first female and first Latina senator. Descended from Mexican and Italian immigrants, she has been a vocal opponent of President-elect Trump’s stated plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and has already been named to six committees with "direct interest to Las Vegas and state issues."

You can keep track of Sen. Cortez Masto's votes and bills sponsored here.

Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC)

Political experts suggest that Trump’s election reflects the voting public’s dissatisfaction with the status quo. If true, then the election of Ted Budd, 44, of Rural Hall, N.C. (population 2,937 as of 2010), echoes that lesson on a smaller scale. Not only is Budd a political neophyte; he’s also the first gun-shop owner elected to Congress in modern times. He attracted the attention – and dollars – of Club for Growth Action, a super-PAC whose stated mission is "defeating big-government politicians and replacing them with pro-growth, limited-government conservatives." Armed with half-a-million dollars from the group, Budd matched Trump by defeating 16 primary rivals. There’s a chance that few of his better-connected colleagues knew his name before the Nov. 8 election, but odds are good that will change in the 115th Congress.

You can keep track of Rep. Budd's votes and bills sponsored here.

— Erin Wright

(Photo Credit: Flickr user RJ Schmidt)