WASHINGTON — What happens when more than 100 members-elect descend on Capitol Hill a week after Election Day?

As Rep.-elect Dan Koh, D-Mass., put it, “It really is like high school — but it’s fun high school.”

Trainings and guest speakers aren’t everyone’s idea of a fun time, but Democrats are feeling good about this year’s new member orientation. Giddy, even.

The incoming freshmen will pose for a class photo on the House steps. They’ll test their luck in a lottery to see who lands the best office space. And everywhere they look, they see signs of the blue wave that swept over the country.

“I think — well, I hope — that we will be doing a lot of exceeding expectations in this caucus. The American people deserve it and expect it,” said. Rep.-elect Sam Forstag, D-Mont., as he headed to lunch after an orientation session on Monday.

Forstag is the first Democratic congressman from Montana in 30 years, succeeding retiring GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke. A former smokejumper who parachuted into remote forests to put out wildfires, Forstag won by more than 3 points in a district President Donald Trump carried by double digits in 2024.

“I think there’s a lot of folks who didn’t expect us to,” he said of his win. “Nobody knew who we were this past December when I was still working at the smoke jumper base in Missoula.”

Democrats are still digesting their larger-than-expected wins, which saw them flip more than 40 House seats and oust a number of high-profile incumbents, including National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C.

“It’s like drinking out of a firehose,” said Rep.-elect Rebecca Cooke, D-Wis., who unseated incumbent GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd District.

Cooke and her opponent clashed during the campaign over his use of AI-generated ads that she described as deepfakes. Now, they have to work together to make sure the transition goes smoothly.

“The congressman said that he’s willing to be helpful in that transition. I think it’s important that we make sure that the casework is transferred over, that constituent service is a priority, and that nothing falls through the cracks for people,” she said.

The 120th Congress will be full of history-makers, and a record-breaking number of women are set to serve in the House.

“This is a Congress with the most women ever to be a part of this chamber,” Cooke said. “And a lot of [Democrats], frankly, from the Midwest, and so I’m excited to build that sort of power from the Midwest to make sure that our interests are represented.”

The math isn’t lost on Republicans navigating a freshman class where they have fewer peers than they hoped.

“I thought that it would probably go a little bit different. I think a lot of people did, but it is what it is. You work with what we have,” said Rep.-elect Mark Lamb, R-Ariz.

But just like high school, everyone’s trying to make friends. As members filed into the Capitol Visitor Center on Monday morning, Rep.-elect Cait Conley, D-N.Y., introduced herself to Rep.-elect Sydney Gruters, R-Fla.

Meanwhile, Rep.-elect Claire Valdez, D-N.Y., who describes herself as a “proud democratic socialist,” walked by chatting with Del.-elect Robert White, who will become only the third person in the modern era to hold the title of D.C.’s nonvoting delegate.

“I’m sitting next to a teacher right now; I’m sitting next to the mayor of Scranton … good, nice people,” said Rep.-elect Zack Mullock, D-N.J., who said he was surprised by how many “regular people” he was meeting among the incoming class.

Rep.-elect Brad Lander, D-N.Y., who ousted fellow Democrat Dan Goldman in a Brooklyn-based primary before cruising to victory in the general election, was also making friends.

“I was hanging out with Donavan McKinney yesterday in orientation, and I’m just really excited to meet all the amazing people. Micah Lasher, we were hanging out last night. Jacqui Irwin, so we’re just trying to get to know each other,” he said.

After arriving on Sunday with suitcases in hand, the future freshmen got a chance to set foot inside the House chamber later that day. Lander said he’d been there before to see Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, a friend of his, get sworn in four years ago. But Sunday was his first time on the floor itself.

“It’s obviously a lot different when it’s you,” he said.

Koh agreed, saying “everyone in that room, Republican or Democrat, had a lot of reverence for where they were.”

“I think it was just a good reminder about how despite all the division, that’s what we’re going to focus on — trying to figure out how to get things done for the American people,” he said.

Members-elect were trying their best to navigate their new workplace on Monday, many of them donning backpacks as they came to terms with the realities of their new job.

“We just have to get back to class,” said Rep.-elect Ed Gallrein, R-Ky., to a crowd of reporters trying to flag him down as he left orientation to use the restroom.

They’d have Italian food for lunch, after a session in the CVC auditorium where many of the future members typed notes on their laptops.

“They’ve got a packed agenda for us all week, really helping us figure out how to get started. Build our team, set course, understand where the bathrooms are — large and small. We got a lot to learn,” Lander said.

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