SECOND ACTSThe 109th Congress includes three freshmen who are in their second tour of duty in the House. But prior congressional experience is about all the trio has in common. Republicans Bob Inglis of South Carolina and Dan Lungren of California are solid conservatives who gave up their safe House seats to run for statewide office; Democrat Cynthia McKinney of Georgia is an unwavering liberal who was ousted in a bitter 2002 primary race, only to return to Capitol Hill two years later.Bob Inglis (R), South Carolina 4th DistrictInglis is one of the few members who took the term-limit pledge and then kept his promise. First elected in 1992, he resisted joining the Washington culture and slept in his office on an air mattress. In 1998, after three terms, he ran against Sen. Ernest Hollings and lost by 53 percent to 46 percent. In 2004, Inglis traded places with Jim DeMint, his House successor, who honored his own term-limits pledge and was elected to the Senate as Hollings retired.Article excerpt reprinted with permission, for sample use, from the National Journal (August 13, 2005) |