House poises for 'bold' shakeup as newcomer influx now set to be biggest in nearly century
When the House convenes in January, roughly a quarter of members will be serving for the first time after a turnover that seems likely to surpass the most recent high-water mark of 1993, when Bill Clinton became president.
Fueled by a blue tsunami, a stampede of retirements and a redistricting war that backfired on Republicans, at least 108 new members will join the House. The incoming cohort includes pastors, political strategists and labor organizers, veterans, mayors and a throng of state legislators and county commissioners.
With five races yet to be called in which political newcomers hold the lead, the number of first-term members is on track to reach 113, surpassing the 109 new members seated in 1993. If the trajectory holds, it will be the largest freshman class since 1933, when the record for the modern era was set with 158 new members....