By Eleanor Clift 

Of the five new Democratic senators elected so far (three races are still unresolved), it’s fair to say each one of them has the potential to be a force in their party and in the governing majority Barack Obama is assembling on Capitol Hill. A quick look at some of the new faces who may soon become the men–and women–to see.

First among equals is Virginia’s Mark Warner. A popular former governor, he’s a young moderate with a gangly Jimmy Stewart-goes-to-Washington look. He made a fortune in the cell-phone business, and likes to say that when others find a ringing cell phone a disturbance, he hears ka-ching. As a self-made businessman–he didn’t come up through partisan horse-trading–he’s someone who can help Obama steer a centrist course. He’s also a likely future presidential candidate.

The Udall cousins: Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico. Their last name is synonymous with progressive politics and the protection of natural resources–values they wove together in their respective campaigns to champion a new green-energy economy for the West. Mo Udall (Mark’s father) was the liberal alternative to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 primaries; Stuart Udall (Tom’s father) was Secretary of the Interior in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Kay Hagan in North Carolina defeated Republican icon, Elizabeth Dole because of huge support from women. Emily’s List, a pro-choice group that backed Hagan, found the two candidates split male voters 47-47 percent, but women preferred Hagan over Dole 55 percent to 45 percent. Dole’s last-ditch ad suggesting Hagan was godless backfired big-time. Hagan is no novice; she served five terms in the North Carolina Senate where she earned a reputation for effectiveness. She’ll move quickly to establish a more aggressive profile, on behalf of the state, than the genteel Dole, whose infrequent visits home became a campaign issue.

Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire. This was a rematch for Shaheen, who lost to Republican John Sununu in a bitter race six years ago. Shaheen benefited from the changed mood in the state (Democrats control the governor’s office and the legislature) along with a double-digit gender gap. Women are still underrepresented in the U.S. Senate with only 17 women out of 100 senators in the new Congress. Because of their small number, they stick together, often across party lines. Shaheen kept her political preference in the Democratic primary to herself, but her husband was an early co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and Shaheen will be a major Hillary ally.