Capitol Hill’s Freshman Class Favorites : Veteran lawmakers and aides find several new members of the House and a few in the Senate getting off to a fast start in a productive year.

WASHINGTON — The freshman class of the 103rd Congress is one of the largest in half a century and certainly the most diverse ever to arrive on Capitol Hill. In their hectic first year--one of the most productive in congressional history--a handful stood out as exceptional and as names to watch.

During the halftime recess in the two-year session, veteran lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides were asked to identify newcomers who showed promise from the crowd of 110 new House members and 14 new senators.

About 70% of the freshmen came to Washington with other government experience. But among those who got off to the fastest start were lawmakers who had come from leading public posts in their home states.

Rep. Michael N. Castle (R-Del.), 54, who went from Delaware governor to become his state’s lone representative in the House, was listened to as someone with hands-on experience in administering federal programs at the state level. He also showed his independence by refusing to vote in party-line lock step.

Feisty Rep. Carrie Meek (D-Fla.), 66, who served for years on the Appropriations Committee in the Florida Senate, wrangled a coveted seat on the House Appropriations Committee in her first term. She was a constant source of guidance for younger lawmakers.

Another Democrat who made a strong impression--Rep. Eric D. Fingerhut of Ohio--was more of a thorn in the side of his party’s leadership because of his dogged pursuit of congressional reform issues, including term limits. Fingerhut, 34, a former state senator who once led his state’s chapter of Common Cause, also was unrelenting in his pursuit of larger spending cuts than the White House wanted.

Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.), one of the minority in her class who had never held public office before winning a congressional seat, took a highly visible role on several issues, including reform of the House. She was tapped to be on the Republican Committee on Committees, often a steppingstone for leadership posts, and won respect on both sides of the aisle. While she served for a decade as head of the Republican Party in her state, the 52-year-old Dunn often espoused centrist political views.

Another GOP standout among the newcomers of ’93 was Rep. Henry Bonilla of Texas, a former television commentator who became the first Latino Republican from Texas in the House. Bonilla, 39, was rewarded with a sought-after seat on the Appropriations Committee and made use of his communications skills to help House Republicans sharpen their political message. He was clearly regarded as a comer by the GOP.

Rep. Karen Shepherd (D-Utah) proved effective at pursuing the issue of congressional reform, serving with Rep. Tillie Fowler (R-Fla.) on a freshman bipartisan task force that commanded wide respect. Although Shepherd, 53, differed with the Democratic leaders on some issues, she won seats on the Natural Resources Committee and the Public Works and Transportation Committee to help secure federal projects for her district.

Rep. Eva Clayton (D-N.C.), the president of the Democratic freshman class, was praised highly for effectively serving as a bridge between the party leadership and the newcomers. Clayton, 59, who worked quietly behind the scenes, was the first black woman to be sent to the House from North Carolina. Her main legislative interests were economic development and reduction of rural poverty.

Several Californians also received praise, including Rep. Anna G. Eshoo of Atherton, Rep. Jane Harman of Marina del Rey and Rep. Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma on the Democratic side and Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon of Santa Clarita and Rep. Steve Horn of Long Beach in the GOP ranks.

Eshoo, 51, appeared to reserve her options on difficult votes and, when she differed with the leadership, explained her position clearly. Harman, 48, was effective on defense conversion issues and became a leader in pushing for additional spending cuts to reduce the deficit. Woolsey, 56, who once worked her way off welfare, added a human touch to the delegation.

McKeon, 54, who was chosen leader of the Republican freshmen, worked with Democrats on reform-of-Congress issues when it wasn’t the most popular thing to do in GOP ranks. Horn, 62, showed an unusual thoughtfulness and occasionally displayed independence from the Republican Party line.

In the Senate, California Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer stood out in a smaller and somewhat lackluster freshman class.

Feinstein attracted favorable attention by overcoming great odds to win Senate passage of a bill to ban future manufacture, sale and possession of rapid-firing assault weapons. Boxer benefited from her experience in the House to become an inside player who was able to get Senate backing for programs to aid California’s economy, which was hit hard by defense spending cuts and shutdowns of military bases.

Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.) also showed signs of promise, successfully battling ultraconservative Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and winning approval of tough anti-crime legislative provisions.