In some ways, the freshmen are responsible for their own predicament. Many won their seats after successfully challenging establishment Republicans in primaries, proving that a combination of gumption and the right political climate could overcome the advantages of incumbency.

Now, to some of the impatient and ideological voters who sent them to Washington to change things, the new House members may be seen as the establishment, and they face the disconcerting prospect of immediately defending themselves in the political marketplace…

“We just had a great Republican year,” said Kurt Luidhardt, a political consultant in Indiana who worked for several newcomers in 2010. “So a lot of Republican candidates now want to get in there and run. I would imagine redistricting will inspire a whole host of interesting primary challenges on both sides of the aisle.”

On the flip side, groups aligned with the Tea Party movement, which helped push many new-to-politics candidates into House seats, are disenchanted with some of their new hires and are pondering if they can raise the money, and the firepower, to find someone to take them on.