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87 Republican House freshmen arrived in 2010 and promised to change Washington.
Not all of them will be coming back.
About 20 of the 87 GOP freshmen—who, along with nine Democrats, made up the biggest House class since 1992—face competitive races.
One of the newcomers, Rep. Ben Quayle (R., Ariz.), has already lost a primary.
Gone this year is some of the grass-roots ardor that swept the Republicans into power, affirmed the power of the tea party and marked the rise of a harder-edged GOP stance on fiscal issues.
Some freshmen, meanwhile, are becoming more integrated into the House, accepting compromise and burrowing into committee work.
Some now say their significance was exaggerated to begin with.
"It's a very delicious narrative that 80-something freshmen rode a tea-party wave into Washington," said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.), who is bracing for some in his class to lose. "But I thought 2010 was as much a repudiation of the status quo as anyone loving us."
GOP leaders predict the great majority of freshmen will prevail.
They note that Republican-led legislatures have protected some vulnerable freshmen through redistricting...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444592704578065030789629500.html