Bachman if beginning her 3rd term, she is not a freshman.
I had honestly never heard of her before this election cycle. She reminds me of Barack Obama in that sense. He too was quite unknown to all but a handful of the most extreme elements within his party when those same elements propelled him into a position that he was woefully unqualified for dividing their party (DLC vs DNC) in the process and ultimately resulting in a crushing defeat only two short years later.