A surefire way to get noticed as a new member of Congress is to ask tough questions.

With the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, freshman lawmakers will have plenty of opportunities to press Trump officials as Congress investigates the administration.

Leading a major investigation has long been a way for members of Congress to build their profile. Now, any lawmaker can go viral online after a sharp exchange with a witness — as Rep. Pramila Jayapal did when pressing then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to apologize to Epstein survivors.

Lawmakers with legal backgrounds, such as California Sen. Adam Schiff, who led the first impeachment of Trump, may have an advantage. But members like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have shown that a law degree isn’t necessary to ask sharp questions.

The incoming freshman class includes several former prosecutors and trial lawyers who are likely to make waves. Here’s a closer look at seven of them.

Zach Dembo

Democrat, Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District

Zach Dembo won a hotly contested congressional race, defeating Republican Ralph Alvarado to flip the Kentucky seat previously held by Rep. Andy Barr, who ran for the U.S. Senate.

A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School, Dembo worked for Teach for America in the Mississippi Delta, served in the U.S. Navy for more than four years in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and worked for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. He later served as a federal prosecutor, resigning in May 2025 because he was concerned about the “corruption and politicization” of the Justice Department.

Dembo is aware that his legal and military background positions him to investigate potential corruption within the Trump administration, specifically on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the war in Iran. He told the Lexington Herald-Leader that his professional experience made him “uniquely prepared” to serve on the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees, as well as the House Judiciary and Oversight committees.

Abdul El-Sayed

Democrat, Senate, Michigan

Abdul El-Sayed brings an unusual academic background to the Senate: He earned a master’s degree at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar and a medical degree from Columbia University. His training as a doctor and researcher could help him ask sharp, focused questions on health issues in committee hearings.

El-Sayed has already said that he will support investigating the Trump administration. In an interview with CNN, he noted that the Democratic majority will have “subpoena power to be able to investigate all of the ways that this administration has used their power for their gain and enrichment, and against ours.”

During the campaign, El-Sayed showed he could explain complicated issues in clear, moral terms. That skill could serve him well when questioning witnesses who try to evade a question.

Sherrod Brown

Democrat, Senate, Ohio

As a former three-term senator returning to Congress after a two-year absence, Sherrod Brown will hit the ground running.

Brown’s experience leading the Senate Banking Committee could prove useful in investigating the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures and potential conflicts of interest.

He has a long record of oversight involving financial institutions, consumer protection, corporate conduct and executive branch policy that should come in handy when trying to unpack complicated financial scandals.

Scott Colom

Democrat, Senate, Mississippi

Scott Colom brings years of legal experience to the Senate. He earned a law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 2009 and became district attorney for a Mississippi judicial district in 2015. Then-President Joe Biden nominated him for a federal judgeship in 2022, but Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith helped block the nomination.

Colom’s campaign rested on many of the key issues facing the Trump administration, including banning stock trading and secret crypto profits, strengthening ethics enforcement and cracking down on corruption and public fraud. This would make him a strong fit for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Troy Jackson

Democrat, Senate, Maine

Troy Jackson, who defeated five-term Sen. Susan Collins, is no outsider to politics. He was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2002 as an independent, later becoming a Democrat, and went on to serve more than a decade in the Maine Senate, including six years as its president.

That experience could come in handy in the day-to-day work of organizing hearings, coordinating meetings and debating priorities, but he’s most likely to stand out in Congress for his sharp stances on issues ranging from Israel to immigration.

Unlike the lawyers on this list, his speaking style is direct and distinctly rural Maine. He speaks with a northern Maine drawl and leans on his background as a logger and union activist to talk about working-class concerns. His plainspoken, sometimes gruff style could help him cut through the polished answers witnesses often use to dodge questions.

Christina Hines

Democrat, Michigan’s 10th Congressional District

Christina Hines won a closely contested House seat after Republican Rep. John James decided to run for governor rather than seek re-election. Her campaign drew little national attention, but her legal experience could help her stand out in committee hearings. She earned a law degree from Wayne State University, taught law and worked as a prosecutor in Washtenaw and Wayne counties, handling sexual assault and child abuse cases.

On the campaign trail, Hines connected with voters by highlighting the ways in which the federal government enables sexual abuse. If Congress decides to investigate the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, for example, Hines’ experience could be valuable in asking questions on a difficult topic and working directly with survivors.

Roy Cooper

Democrat, Senate, North Carolina

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis retired after tangling with President Donald Trump. The president is not likely to be any happier with his replacement.

Roy Cooper ran on an anti-corruption platform, winning handily in a state Trump won three times. His speaking style is generally soft-spoken and measured, but as a longtime prosecutor, he knows how to ask a tough follow-up question.

The former two-term governor, who has a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1986, then served four terms as state attorney general. In that role, he handled several high-profile cases, including the Duke lacrosse controversy, and arguing cases before the Supreme Court.

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