Kerry Bentivolio joins Congress as a former reindeer farmer and Santa impersonator. 5 traits of the House freshman class

It wasn’t a wave election, but the 2012 races will sweep in an outsize freshman class nonetheless.

The 113th Congress will welcome at least 79 new House members — 44 Democrats, 35 Republicans. That total would grow to 85 new faces in the House if current results in still-uncalled races hold. It will be the largest freshman class of the past dozen years, aside from the 89-member class elected in November 2010.


The newest members knocked out more than 20 incumbents. But a large number of retirements and redistricting in key states also helped bring fresh blood to the Capitol. California alone will be responsible for 11 new members in the House.

“The message is that the country seems split right down the middle, and voters were looking to elect people who were a little less ideological and more pragmatic,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel said in an interview Thursday.

Here are POLITICO’s five traits of the incoming class of House freshmen.

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE HOUSE

Next year’s House Democratic Caucus will achieve a significant milestone: the first in which women and minorities make up the majority.

( PHOTOS: Female senators in the 113th Congress)

Democratic gains will boost Latino ranks in the House with at least eight new members: Tony Cárdenas, Gloria Negrete McLeod and Juan Vargas of California; Joe Garcia of Florida; Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico; and Joaquin Castro, Pete Gallego and Filemon Vela of Texas. Another Latino candidate, Democrat Raul Ruiz, is leading Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack in Southern California.

“It is truly a coming of age,” retiring Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said in an interview Thursday. “And I think you’re going to start seeing that in the following elections.”

This cycle saw the highest number of Asian-American congressional candidates in history, and those efforts paid off: Grace Meng of New York, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Mark Takano of California all won their bids. Another Asian-American candidate — Ami Bera — was on the verge of defeating GOP Rep. Dan Lungren in California.

The Congressional Black Caucus will welcome five new members: Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey, Marc Veasey of Texas, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Steven Horsford of Nevada and Joyce Beatty of Ohio. Horsford will be the first black congressman from the Silver State.

And the incoming class of House freshmen will have three openly gay members, all Democrats: Mark Takano of California; Sean Patrick Maloney of New York and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin. Another Democratic candidate — Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — would be the first openly bisexual member of Congress. She is currently leading in her yet-undeclared race.

Even with Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank retiring and Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin winning a seat to the Senate, those gains will mean the highest number ever of openly gay members in the House.

THE SUBURBAN DEMS

Though Democrats fell short of the 25 net seats needed to regain House control, they did manage to narrow the GOP majority. Gains in suburban America were a big reason why.

Democrats picked up three seats in the Chicago suburbs alone by defeating Republican Reps. Robert Dold, Judy Biggert and Joe Walsh. Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney defeated Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth in New York’s Hudson Valley area. Bera is leading Lungren in suburban Sacramento.

Much of that was by design. Israel said his top focus, aside from recruiting quality women and minority candidates, was attracting candidates deemed to be relatively nonideological and “problem solvers” — a trait he said was attractive to suburban voters.

“If you’re living in suburban districts, you’re generally moderate and independent, and you’re not interested in left or right,” Israel said. “You want the potholes paved and the traffic managed.”

“The new class comes informed [with] this notion that we have to get something done,” added John Delaney, an incoming House Democrat from suburban Maryland. “I suspect most of us campaigned on that perspective on the campaign trail, no matter what side.”

Still, some Republicans held their own in suburban districts. For instance, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) beat back a tough challenge in the Denver suburbs.

THE TEA PARTY FAITHFULS

House Democrats bragged after Tuesday night that they rolled back the “tea party wave” that swept them out of power in 2010. But plenty of new freshmen are strong conservatives backed enthusiastically by the movement that made its mark in 2010.

Republican Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma may have seemed outmatched by his primary opponent, Rep. John Sullivan, but a surge of support from the tea party movement and a lackadaisical incumbent carried him to Capitol Hill. Oklahoma’s Markwayne Mullin and Indiana’s Jackie Walorski were both tea-party-backed winners of seats that had been vacated by Democrats.

Many of these candidates, such as North Dakota’s Kevin Cramer, were also bolstered by endorsements and cash from powerful conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks.

THE RETREADS

Some of the House newcomers aren’t really new to the place; they’re returning to Washington after losing elections or, Brett Favre-style, retiring voluntarily only to change their minds.

Six of the comeback specialists are Democrats ousted in the 2010 Republican wave: Bill Foster of Illinois, Alan Grayson of Florida, Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Dan Maffei of New York, Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire and Dina Titus of Nevada.

Maffei and Shea-Porter won rematches against the Republican opponents who upended them in 2010: New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle and New Hampshire Rep. Frank Guinta.

Of the former members who decided on Round Two, two are Republicans: Steve Stockman of Texas and Matt Salmon of Arizona. Under a self-imposed term-limit pledge, Salmon exited Congress after the 2000 elections but emerged from retirement with a mission to help fix the nation’s finances.

“Since I left Congress in 2001, our nation has taken a turn down the wrong path, and I couldn’t stand aside any longer,” he said in a statement after his win.

Another incoming House freshman — Minnesota’s Rick Nolan, a Democrat — is back after a hiatus of more than 30 years. He served three terms in the post-Watergate era and has said he plans to exercise the six years of his seniority he earned before leaving the Hill.

But other former members trying for a return fell short: Ohio Democrat Charlie Wilson and Hawaii Republican Charles Djou both lost in 2010 and both lost their 2012 comeback bids.

THE ODDBALLS

In every new group, there are a quirky few who stand out.

Incoming Republican Ted Yoho of Florida attracted headlines not only for ousting veteran Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) but for his background as a large-animal veterinarian. His sole — yet memorable — campaign ad featured “career politicians” rolling around in a pig trough.

“He’s not going to go be the brightest guy on the Hill; he’s not coming up with the Ryan budget,” his wife, Carolyn, told POLITICO earlier this year. “But he’s the right guy for the job, and it’s the right time in our lives to go do this.”

But the oddity award for the 113th Congress may go to Kerry Bentivolio, the Michigan Republican to succeed former Rep. Thad McCotter. Bentivolio comes to Congress as a former reindeer farmer and a Santa Claus impersonator, and his new title as “congressman” may be the weirdest of all.