Benjamin L. Cardin (D)

A rapid rise it wasn't. First came 20 years in the Maryland House of Delegates. Then came 20 years in the U.S. House. Now, as Benjamin L. Cardin (D) heads to the Senate, he goes with a reputation as a master of details that only a devoted politician could love.

The complex 1998 IRS reform law? Cardin was a co-sponsor. The intricate 2000 legislation to expand 401(k) participation? Cardin again. The 2003 plan about pension rollovers for lower-income workers? Him again. Medicare prescription prices, trade agreements, bipartisan cooperation -- all have been Cardin issues. When it comes to knowledge of government entitlement programs, he might as well be called "Mr. Social Security."

What he is often called: smart, steady, decent, productive and effective. Also: short, seasoned and bald. At 63, and with 40 years of political experience, Cardin seems more suited to senior statesman than freshman. But the low rung of the Senate is his after a close primary victory over former NAACP president Kweisi Mfume and his victory in the general election over Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.