Angry Electorate Has House Incumbents Feeling Jittery About Campaign : Congress: With a push for term limits adding to the tension, many lawmakers are working harder--and making more trips back home.

With more House incumbents having lost primary races than in any year since World War II, members of Congress are experiencing powerful campaign jitters as they prepare to face angry voters in a year of extraordinary political uncertainty.

Public disdain for Congress--coupled with a broad movement to impose term limits--has forced many lawmakers to work harder, spend more money campaigning and make more trips to their home districts than ever as they seek to retain their seats in the House or Senate next year.

From House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) to the most obscure backbencher, Republicans and Democrats alike said they are approaching the Nov. 3 election with increasing apprehension.

“A prairie fire is sweeping across the country to kick the bums out,” said James K. Coyne, a former Pennsylvania congressman who now heads Americans to Limit Congressional Terms. Term-limit proposals will be on the ballot in 15 states this year, Coyne said, and the prospects are good that many of them will pass.

“Can’t you sense the terror?” Rep. Fred Grandy (R-Iowa) responded this week when asked about attitudes on Capitol Hill. “The mood ranges between controlled anxiety and outright panic.”

The results of this week’s primaries offered little solace, even though fewer incumbents were ousted than anticipated. Despite widespread fears of a “Bloody Tuesday” that would slaughter six or more Democrats who appeared vulnerable, only two incumbents, both running in new districts because of reapportionment, were defeated--Reps. Stephen J. Solarz of New York and Chester G. Atkins of Massachusetts.

Still, the losses by Solarz and Atkins brought to 19 the number of House members upended by challengers from their own party this year. That broke the previous post-World War II high of 18, set in 1946.

This year’s toll included Rep. Guy Vander Jagt (R-Mich.), a 24-year veteran who, as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, focused on getting other Republicans elected to Congress.

His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Vic Fazio (D-West Sacramento), has been targeted by the GOP and may face a tough reelection battle.

Even before any ballots were cast this year, extensive redistricting and fallout from the House banking scandal persuaded many members to retire rather than face difficult campaigns.

With only three states yet to hold primaries, the guaranteed turnover in the 435-member House already has reached 91 seats.

Taking into account expected incumbent defeats in the Nov. 3 elections, the turnover threatens to break the chamber’s record for turnover that was set in 1948, when 118 new members of the House were chosen.

In the 100-member Senate, as a result of a single defeat, one death and seven retirements, nine new members are assured, regardless of the November results.

“Many, many incumbents in both parties have to pay more attention this time around,” said Fazio, who is among those predicting as many as 150 new faces in next year’s Congress.

“The public is in a very restive mood,” said a spokesman for Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who survived a primary battle by fewer than 1,000 votes earlier this year. “Newt is taking his (general election) campaign very seriously and any incumbent who doesn’t isn’t getting good advice.”

Among those heeding the advice is Foley, who spent about $75,000 for advertising in advance of Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Washington state, where he was unopposed. He faces a general election challenge from a Republican running on the slogan: “Fed up with Congress? Fire the Speaker.”

A spokesman for Foley said: “There is enough voter disenchantment that he’s going to have to deal with it.”

Overall, the 102-seat margin Democrats enjoy in the House is expected to erode, mainly because of redistricting that favored the GOP in several states.

At best, Republican sources said, they may pick up 25 to 30 seats. Democrats acknowledge that they might lose 15 to 25 members of their caucus; they are hoping a strong showing by Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in the presidential campaign cuts those losses.

The nervousness about November’s elections was largely responsible for a major change in Congress’ end-of-session tactics. Democratic congressional leaders decided this week to agree to President Bush’s demand to trim spending bills so they do not exceed the amounts originally requested by the Administration.

The aim was to keep the President from vetoing the bills and thereby escalating the budget fights into a standoff that could increase public criticism of government gridlock and congressional inaction.

Times staff writer Michael Ross contributed to this story.

The Reasons They Won’t Return

A total of 19 House members have lost primaries and will not return, bringing the turnover in the House to at least 91. Here are the reasons they won’t be back:

Retiring from office: 54

Lost in primaries: 19

Running for higher office: 9

Members vs. members*: 5

Lost primaries for higher office: 4

*Incumbents running against each other in November because of redistricting

Source: Congressional Quarterly