Reps-elect Walters, Lieu chosen to lead their freshman peers
Two Southern California elected officials who won seats in the U.S. House of Representatives this month have been chosen for freshman leadership positions in their respective parties.
State Sen. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) has been elected as the freshman class’ representative to the House Republican Leadership in the 114th Congress.
Her colleague, state Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), has been elected president of the Democratic freshman class in the House. The 20 members of the Democratic freshman class include two representatives who won special elections in 2013.
Walters joins a GOP freshman class of 42, but the number could change slightly depending on a couple of still-unresolved House contests.
As a Republican, Walters will be part of the dominant party in the House after serving in the minority in the state Senate. Lieu faces the opposite situation--he’ll go from being part of the strongly Democratic state Legislature to join the minority Democrats in Congress.
Both lawmakers won election Nov. 4 to succeed retiring members of their own parties.
When she takes office in January, Walters will succeed Rep. John Campbell (R-Irvine) and Lieu will take over for Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills).
Follow @jeanmerl for the latest in Southern California politics news.
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