One of them is a political newcomer and former soldier who lost both his legs in Afghanistan.
Another one finally found his place in Washington with the Democrats after switching parties twice six years ago and unsuccessfully running for Florida governor in 2014.
Two of Florida's very own -- Congressmen-elect Brian Mast and Charlie Crist -- are among the Hill's "10 Freshmen to Watch" as national lawmakers prepare to descend upon Capitol Hill next month.
Representative-elect Brian Mast first popped onto the political scene in 2015 when he announced his candidacy for Florida's 18th Congressional District, which was vacated when Patrick Murphy opted to run for U.S. Senate against Marco Rubio.
At 36, Mast has little political experience, but his story is one of the more compelling narratives among his peers.
A war veteran, Mast served as a bomb technician in Afghanistan where he found and destroyed explosives in the field to protect his fellow soldiers from harm. Mast accidentally stepped into an explosive device while clearing a path for Army rangers in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of both of his legs and one of his fingers.
Mast ran against Democrat Randy Perkins for the South Florida seat and took 53 percent of the vote. He will be one of the youngest members to take office next year.
Former Florida governor Charlie Crist will also be packing his winter coat and cozying up to Democrats on the Hill next month.
Crist has a storied history in Florida politics, holding as many offices as possible when he was a Republican.
He served in the state Senate for six years and then tried to run for the U.S. Senate in 1998, but lost to incumbent Bob Graham. Crist then served as Florida's Education Commissioner and then Attorney General before being elected governor in 2006.
In 2010, Crist once again tried his hand at a U.S. Senate race, but after polls showed him behind his Republican challenger Marco Rubio, Crist left the GOP and ran as an Independent.
Two years later, Crist joined the Democratic Party and less than a year after that, Crist ran for Florida governor once more. Gov. Rick Scott defeated Crist in a narrow race, and Crist went back to the drawing board.
The former Florida governor's political fortune changed immensely after redistricting, when his home congressional district became more Democratic. Crist then threw his hat in the ring for CD13 against incumbent David Jolly.
Democrats dumped millions of dollars into Crist's campaign and he narrowly defeated Jolly, taking 51 percent while Jolly took 48 percent of the vote.
Congress will begin its 115th session in Washington Jan. 3.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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