WASHINGTON -- The Iraq war. Lobbying reform. Health care. A daunting list of complex issues awaits Jason Altmire and his fellow freshman lawmakers as they prepare to join the U.S. House of Representatives in a little more than six weeks.

But the Democrat from Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District first needs to tackle a few more mundane matters.

"Don't spend one second thinking about drapes," Mr. Altmire instructed an aide over lunch yesterday.

The two were poring over lists of available office suites on the final day of a busy orientation week. He was preparing for the room lottery, a bi-annual tradition on Capitol Hill that sends newly elected members and their staff scurrying around marble hallways in search of sufficient work space.

Sharon Werner, a New York attorney who will become Mr. Altmire's chief of staff, called it the "Altmire for best office" campaign.

Like all campaigns, the candidates try to set realistic goals. The Rayburn office building, with its breathtaking views of the U.S. Capitol, is off limits for freshmen. Rooms in Cannon office building have high ceilings and sufficient light, but the fifth floor is dark and depressing. Longworth, least desirable of the three House office buildings, is where members with mediocre lottery numbers likely will find themselves.

Still, it's an exhilarating moment for nearly 50 new legislators, especially the Democrats who helped their party capture control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in more than a decade.

Mr. Altmire, 38, a former lobbyist for UPMC, who defeated Rep. Melissa Hart on Nov. 7, finds himself in a star-studded group. It includes Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a former quarterback for the Washington Redskins; John Hall of New York, singer for the band Orleans, which had the hit song "Still the One"; and Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim ever elected to Congress.

He also is joined by three other victorious Pennsylvania Democrats -- Patrick Murphy, Chris Carney and Joe Sestak -- all from the eastern part of the state.

Although Mr. Altmire has never had a hit record, his defeat of Ms. Hart, a powerful Republican in her third term, has made him something of a celebrity among House Democrats. He was even given a seat near Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the party leader, during a dinner in the Capitol's ornate Statuary Hall. He hopes that attention will lead to another seat, on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, where he can craft health care legislation.

"I won a hard race against someone who wasn't very popular among Democrats," he said. "So they're definitely going to help me."

Mr. Altmire is familiar with the halls of Congress. From 1991 to 1996, the Lower Burrell native worked as a legislative assistant for Florida's former Rep. Douglas "Pete" Peterson, who later became former President Bill Clinton's ambassador to Vietnam. This time, however, Mr. Altmire is in charge.

On Thursday, he took his first vote -- the Democratic caucus' leadership elections. "It really hit me," he said. "It's real."

Yesterday's room lottery, held in a wood-paneled committee room, was a little anti-climactic by comparison. Mr. Altmire pulled a number from a box: He was 29 of 49. Not bad, but not great.

He and Ms. Werner then set off on a two-hour march through dozens of offices to get ready for the final selection in the afternoon. The pair spent just a few minutes in each suite. They all started to blur together into a mishmash of American flags, busts of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, and red and blue carpeting. A stuffed otter greeted them in the office of Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter of Idaho.

Ms. Werner diligently kept notes, while Mr. Altmire made his preferences clear. "Sharon, on our list of 29, that one's 30," he said after a quick pass through a Longworth office.

Three of his top choices included his old boss's former office, a space once used by a young congressman from Massachusetts named John F. Kennedy, and a supposed good-luck charm occupied by Rep. Russ Carnahan of Missouri, who covered his door with newspaper clippings about the victorious St. Louis Cardinals. Two years before, when Michael Capuano of Massachusetts occupied the room, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series.

Mr. Altmire has been working in a temporary space in the basement of one of the buildings, where he has already accumulated hefty boxes filled with everything from documents on House floor rules and procedures to office technology manuals. He also has to wade through a one-foot stack of resumes.

Each new representative can hire as many as 18 full-time staff members. Mr. Altmire plans to open offices in Aliquippa and the Allegheny Valley to complement his Washington operation.

He'll certainly have more choices in Pennsylvania than he did at yesterday's room selection. He and Ms. Werner had to sit back and watch as other members with better numbers snatched the desired options.

First, Mr. Peterson's office was gone. Then Mr. Altmire kept his eye on Mr. Carnahan's office, the one that could promise the Pirates a winning season next year. "That's the baseball one. It's gone," he said, as another member made a choice. "I jinxed it."

Then Mr. Altmire's number was called. He picked Longworth 1419, currently occupied by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

"Yeah, it's good," he said. Then he turned to Ms. Werner. "Are you sure I really like that one?"

"Yes," she answered, gesturing to her notes. "The underline means you really liked it. We can pick out new drapes in that one."